There's plenty of fun in 'See How They Run'
Searchlight
Somehow it didn’t take long for the public perception of “See How They Run” to go from “Whoa, a lighthearted mystery starring Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, sign me up!” to “What a lame knockoff of 'Knives Out,’ hard pass.” Maybe that’s just how the mostly dismissive early reviews felt. Regardless: Ignore the grumbling and enjoy the type of whodunit that used to be described as a good yarn, back when you could say “simply a good time at the movies” and it wouldn’t sound cheap or unconvincing. “See How They Run” is playful and funny and anchored by two of the most charming people in the business. That’s more than enough.
The case is the murder of a director (Adrien Brody) who’d been tasked with adapting a hit play of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” into a film. Inspector Stoppard (Rockwell) and his eager but green associate Constable Stalker (Ronan) make a delightful pair, and the suspects (including David Oyelowo as the film’s writer) are both memorable and elusive, with writer Mark Chappell and director Tom George effectively threading red herrings, small clues and sharp lines into a clever tale that values story over surprise but manages to keep you on your toes anyway.
Unlike the horribly directed “Death on the Nile” or the, cough, quite overrated “Knives Out,” “See How They Run” actually achieves both a light touch with its comedy and pulls you into its deceptions. (I haven’t seen David O. Russell’s much maligned “Amsterdam” yet.) That isn’t to say it moves like “Ocean’s Eleven” or anything. At times you feel “See How They Run” sagging, either needing faster scenes or more music or a bit more to chew on from beginning to end.
But the entertainment value remains, lively and satisfying, old-fashioned but not stuffy. Easier said than done!
B
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