SLEEPING DOGS (2024)

SYNOPSIS: An ex-homicide detective (Russell Crowe) with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder he can't recall. But as evidence uncovers secrets tied to his forgotten past, he is led to a chilling truth - sometimes, it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Russell Crowe’s star power has for a lack of better word, waned since his days of churning out acclaimed hits liked Gladiator, Cinderella Man and Master and Commander. Nowadays, he is relegated to dad or forgettable roles in Man of Steel and Thor: Love and Thunder respectively.

In writer turned director Adam Cooper’s debut feature, Crowe plays Roy Freeman, a dementia stricken ex-detective who has just underwent a trial operation to reverse his condition. Don’t ask why or how as Sleeping Dogs is not the movie to offer you a significant convincing explanation. Perhaps you can check out Romanian author E.O. Chirovici’s 2017 crime novel “The Book of Mirrors” in which the movie is based on.

Anyway while still in his recovering stage, Freeman is approached by a human rights volunteer to look into an old murder case handled by him and his partner, Jimmy (Tommy Flanagan). Apparently, a young man is being sent to the gallows for a murder he didn’t commit. Again, don’t ask why or how it took so long for him to look for Freeman. Thing is Freeman is intrigued by the crime. He goes to look for his ex-partner Jimmy who told him to forget about the case. Still, he relooks into the old case files trying his best to uncover new clues and new leads assuming his memory works.

More and more potential suspects are uncovered along the way including Dr Westlake (Karen Gillan), an assistant researcher to the questionable murdered professor, Dr Joseph Wieder (Marton Csokas) and his bunch of patients.

Sleeping Dogs fares like a serviceable noir detective affair, displaying much of the traits from a typical crime mystery. In fact, Cooper’s movie reminds one of Nolan’s earliest masterpieces, Momento except the confusing, non-linear structure. Despite the predictability and slow burn, the crime drama is pretty engaging throughout with all sorts of red herrings thrown in for good measure.

For those expecting Crowe to pull off a Maximus Decimus Meridius comeback will be sorely disappointed as Sleeping Dogs is not an action outing or needs to be one. Crowe puts in a nuance, layered performance as the tortured detective who attempts to connect the dots given his limited memory. Gillan is solid as well portraying a crafty scientist who is so good at manipulating the men around her that true evil never really shows their true form.

Admittedly, Crowe has been slowly turning into B-movie star given his recent outputs liked Unhinged and The Exorcism. Whatever you might say about the Australian star, Crowe remains a magnetic appearance onscreen and this whodunit surely soar higher as a result of his contribution.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee