Beyond memories of his mother, Betty Dark (CARLA GUGINO), having an affair with her husband's coworker and then she and young Dan leaving home and setting off for another city, the writer has concocted an imaginary world. There, it's the 1950s and he's a singing gumshoe hired by Mark Binney (JEREMY NORTHAM) to investigate the murder of Nina (ROBIN WRIGHT PENN) by two hoods (ADRIEN BRODY & JON POLITO)
Not surprisingly, she looks quite a bit like Dan's real estranged wife, Nicola (ROBIN WRIGHT PENN), who's attempting, along with her lover (JEREMY NORTHAM), to steal his screenplay adaptation of his novel, The Singing Detective.
Confronted by childhood memories of Dan's past, imagined scenes from his screenplay and hallucinations featuring full blown musical numbers, Dr. Gibbon tries to sort out the convoluted psyche that simultaneously drives yet stymies Dark's state of mind and being.
Violence consists of several murders (by shootings, a drowning and an off-camera stabbing), while several people strike others. Some of that has bloody results (while a man has horrible blisters on his skin) and may be unsettling or tense for some more sensitive viewers. Various characters drink and/or smoke, while some have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Finally, some tense family material is present (a boy leaving home with his mother after watching her have an affair, an estranged marriage, etc.).
Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.
All Rights Reserved,
(2003) (Robert Downey, Jr., Robin Wright Penn) (R)
Alcohol/
DrugsBlood/Gore
Disrespectful/
Bad AttitudeFrightening/
Tense ScenesGuns/
Weapons
Mild
Heavy
Extreme
*Mild
Extreme
Imitative
BehaviorJump
ScenesMusic
(Scary/Tense)Music
(Inappropriate)Profanity
Minor
None
None
None
Extreme
Sex/
NuditySmoking
Tense Family
ScenesTopics To
Talk AboutViolence
Extreme
Heavy
Moderate
Moderate
Extreme
CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.
(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).
Reviewed October 27, 2003 / Posted November 14, 2003
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