Director Joe Charbanic’s “The Watcher” (2000) is among the many many post-“Seven” (1995) serial killer thrillers that seem by the dozen yearly.
It’s nonetheless the one one the place you’ll see Keanu Reeves taking part in a assassin and James Spader because the FBI agent obsessive about catching him.
Charbanic’s sole directing credit score isn’t a complete catastrophe and positively holds our curiosity, however there’s little right here that distinguishes it from each different subpar “Seven” rip-off.
Spader is a law-enforcer-on-the-edge (is there another type in these motion pictures?), on the path of a sadistic assassin named Griffin (Reeves) who strangles his feminine victims with piano wire. Marisa Tomei performs Spader’s sympathetic police shrink, who later turns into his love curiosity and, in fact, a prey for Griffin.
The tales round “The Watcher” are a lot extra attention-grabbing than the movie itself. In case you watch the film and know nothing about its troubled historical past, you’re more likely to neglect it, transfer on and barely recall watching it weeks later.
Alternatively, if you recognize what Reeves went by means of, the film performs like a juicy piece of proof, Exhibit A in a serious crime scene.
I first heard of the movie when a full-page advert of it was posted in both Selection or The Hollywood Reporter. The paintings portrayed Reeves, trying like he simply stepped off the set of “The Matrix,” working for his life.
The title of the movie, listed as “In Manufacturing,” was “Pushed.” This was in late 1999. A 12 months later, the movie was launched beneath the title of “The Watcher” and had a tellingly odd contact on its promotional supplies: regardless of Reeves being the movie’s apparent chief draw, his title got here third on the invoice, under co-stars Spader and Tomei.
The star’s title additionally appeared in unusually small print.
Phrase started to unfold, previous to opening day, that Reeves solely appeared within the movie as a result of he was “contractually obligated.” Apparently, he didn’t need what occurred to Kim Basinger on “Boxing Helena” (wherein she was sued for backing out of the 1993 movie) to be his destiny.
A 12 months later, Reeves was doing an interview for The Guardian. The reporter introduced up “The Watcher,” and Reeves let his guard down. Reeves revealed that, as a result of it had been a 12 months, he may now talk about the movie.
Seems, not solely did he not wish to do “The Watcher,” and was sad that his cameo position was prolonged, however a pal of Reeves cast his title on the contract. Relatively than struggle it, and probably face the damaging press and monetary fall-out that Basinger suffered, he agreed to seem within the film.
This information may need created a much bigger stir, had it not first appeared within the press on September 11, 2001.
“The Watcher” was the # 1 film in America for 2 weeks, which mentioned extra about Reeves’ field workplace energy than the movie itself, which made a medium quantity of coin in a gradual September.
There’s an odd bit within the movie’s opening scene, the place Reeves does a type of dance round his sufferer, whereas Rob Zombie music pummels the soundtrack. It could have been supposed as a tribute to “The Matrix” however it appears like a bizarre outtake that one way or the other made the ultimate reduce.
There’s a well-staged chase scene, punctuated by spectacular non-CGI fireballs- a distinction to the CGI-heavy and totally phony fireballs throughout the climax.
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Spader is certainly good at taking part in males on the very edge, and he brings authority to a movie that badly wants it. Nonetheless, the chief drawback isn’t the old-hat screenplay however Reeves, who’s totally unsuitable for his position. Reeves has the type of smile that may be both charming or menacing, however he by no means makes us consider within the hazard of his character.
“The Watcher” is a kind of unhealthy motion pictures I revisit each 10 years or so. Why? I’m curious if time has been type to it and if there’s nonetheless a perverse fascination in watching Reeves in a efficiency he was primarily compelled to offer.
No to the primary query however an enormous sure to the latter.
There are sufficient moments, significantly when it’s simply Spader and Reeves, that point out this may need labored, however the promising bits are surrounded by scenes punctuated by unhealthy decisions (similar to laughable dialogue, an excessive amount of grainy gradual movement and an terrible rating by Marco Beltrami).
Contemplating how really scary Reeves was in Sam Raimi’s “The Reward” (2000), his woeful miscasting in “The Watcher” absolutely underscores the constraints of his efficiency. Reeves can ship, however the materials, director and circumstances should be in his nook.
The one reward to Reeves’ struggling by means of the making and aftermath of “The Watcher” is that solely his most devoted followers will bear in mind how foolish and awkward he regarded strangling his victims with piano wire.