If anyone requires proof that Elijah Wood cannot act, they need to go no further than their local video store to rent this movie.
Admittedly, the young actor is not helped by the script, direction or indeed overwrought plot of this effort by Spanish cult director Álex de la Iglesia.
Oxford looks fantastic, Hurt plays himself (again) with aplomb, and there are a couple of nice cameos by Leonor Watling as Lorna and Anna Massey as Mrs. Eagleton, although the usually entertaining Jim Carter as Detective Petersen alas is set adrift by the stilted script and convoluted machinations of the plot. The accent of Burn Gormans brilliant but troubled Russian mathematician Podorov constantly distracts so much from his performance due to its awfulness, that I cannot say for certain whether I thought the performance itself as commendable or not.
The dénouement of this particular movie deserves a mention as being possibly one of the worst executions of the "twist within a twist" plot devices yet conceived on the big screen. Not only will you have guessed the ending, and many permutations of it, by the time it comes around, you just won't care.
This movie is about academic mathematicians, reputedly the worlds cleverest people, and a series of murders committed by one of them, but frankly, I think the guy who bags my groceries could have come up with a more convincing plan. (No, seriously, this guy is pretty scary...)
All in all, unless you have seen EVERYTHING else on the shelf, leave this one ON the shelf.
2/10
Admittedly, the young actor is not helped by the script, direction or indeed overwrought plot of this effort by Spanish cult director Álex de la Iglesia.
Oxford looks fantastic, Hurt plays himself (again) with aplomb, and there are a couple of nice cameos by Leonor Watling as Lorna and Anna Massey as Mrs. Eagleton, although the usually entertaining Jim Carter as Detective Petersen alas is set adrift by the stilted script and convoluted machinations of the plot. The accent of Burn Gormans brilliant but troubled Russian mathematician Podorov constantly distracts so much from his performance due to its awfulness, that I cannot say for certain whether I thought the performance itself as commendable or not.
The dénouement of this particular movie deserves a mention as being possibly one of the worst executions of the "twist within a twist" plot devices yet conceived on the big screen. Not only will you have guessed the ending, and many permutations of it, by the time it comes around, you just won't care.
This movie is about academic mathematicians, reputedly the worlds cleverest people, and a series of murders committed by one of them, but frankly, I think the guy who bags my groceries could have come up with a more convincing plan. (No, seriously, this guy is pretty scary...)
All in all, unless you have seen EVERYTHING else on the shelf, leave this one ON the shelf.
2/10
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