The January Man (1989)

At film's beginning Alison Hawkins (Faye Grant) and friend Bernadette Flynn (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) carouse during the New Year's Eve celebration (there is an undertone of lesbianism). After Alison is dropped off in her NY apartment, she is strangled by a maniac who managed to enter her residence. The newspapers scream that she is the eleventh victim. Mayor Eamon Flynn (Rod Steiger), orders police commissioner Frank Starkey (Harvey Keitel) to get his brother Nick (Kevin Kline) back on the police force to solve the crime. Nick, who is a little quirky, is a fireman, but when he was a cop he excelled in special investigation. Years earlier he was removed from the force for a graft scandal, but actually took a bribery hit for Frank. He agrees to return to the force. Police captain Vincent Alcoa (Danny Aiello), though, is not amused to see Nick return. Nevertheless, after a shouting match with the bellicose mayor, he is forced to concede. Brothers Frank and Nick do not get along well. Before Frank married Christine (Susan Sarandon), she was Nick's girlfriend. Like the mayor and police chief, they argue. Nick soon becomes romantically involved with the mayor's daughter, Bernadette Flynn. At work the unorthodox Nick, who has a penchant for solving difficult situations, begins to put pieces together. Helping him investigate the case is his friend and neighbor, Ed (Alan Rickman). Ed, who paints nudes, is a computer guru who helps analyze when the murderer is going to strike next. Nick had already known that the strangler is clever and knows how to pick locks. Nick assembles the dates of the murders on his computer screen and then begins to analyze incredibly complex clues. He asks a fellow policeman what a prime number is. When the cop cannot answer Nick responds, "Any number that can only be divided by one and itself." He might have added, "without leaving a remainder" (above 2 the prime numbers are obviously odd). Nick, figuring out the days of the murders, is quite certain that the date of the next murder will be the fifth of January (the killer strikes monthly). Looking at the arrangement of the building locations of the various murders, Nick figures the constellation sign Virgo to locate the actual building (the killer strikes only at high rises). The strangler must be a computer whiz. The musical notes of Neil Sedaka's old song "Calendar Girl" play into it. Then Nick figures the actual apartment. A trap is set. The movie, produced by Norman Jewison, and directed by Pat O'Connor, doesn't really work as a crime-erotic/romance-comedy. For one thing, inserting slapstick comedy elements into the denouement is ridiculous because the situation is supposed to be serious. Then there is the casting. Now these are all accomplished actors, but they are done in by the uneven mood and convoluted script by John Patrick Shanley, which leaves some questions unanswered (like the scandal). Keitel often frowns while Steiger often yells. Steiger overacts in his screaming confrontation with Aiello. Kevin Kline and Harvey Keitel are not especially convincing as brothers. Furthermore, they are like a Mutt and Jeff pair with Kline (6'2") towering over Keitel (5'7"). Ms. Mastrantonio, a handsome woman, looks nothing like a Flynn. Her performance is worthy, though, as is that of Alan Rickman. There is just a slight resonance of mystery. The killer's identity is merely a backdrop ("He's a nobody.") while Kline's ingenious solution is implausible. The veteran actors and plot will generate some interest, although the New York City locations are not really used to good advantage except for the large apartment buildings necessary to make the situations work.

Have just watched this movie for the first ( and probably the last) time with my husband. We were drawn to the fabulous cast, Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Rod Steiger, Harvey Keitel, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Alan Rickman & Danny Aiello. For most of the movie we enjoyed the intrigue and quirky story. It is billed as action, crime, mystery and there was plenty of that. Now here is the spoiler: why, oh why did they decide to change it into a comedy at the end! I know in the movies logic is not a big thing, but I was asking my husband why she didn't just leave the key in the door, or at least hand them to him. The murderer wasn't going to notice if she had them or not. It just became a total farce from then on. The movie did not need that. We were both very disappointed in the slap-stick element in the last 10 minutes.

John Patrick Shanley, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of 1987's "Moonstruck", most likely wrote "The January Man" earlier in his career; it shows the strain of a novice author finding his footing, discovering what tone works for him and what quirky attributes can do for a character-filled scenario. When New York City is gripped by a serial killer who preys upon single women, the mayor demands the police commissioner rehire his brother, a former police detective-turned-firefighter, as a special investigator on the case (seems the brother once had a thing for the commissioner's wife, which led to a falling out). Kevin Kline shuffles about trying to locate his character; his New York accent doesn't work (and is frequently abandoned altogether), though his rumpled attire, thick crop of hair and dapper mustache have him looking more like Mandy Patinkin than ever. Kline doesn't convince as a relative to Harvey Keitel, but there are some good things in Shanley's script, and Kline picks up on them. The movie takes at least 45 minutes to get cracking; until then, there are far too many hotheaded characters on-screen, all shouting angrily at each other. In these instances Shanley seems to be relying on clichés picked up from old movies, although his second act improves tremendously. Kline is aided deftly by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (never better) and Alan Rickman (as a fey artist who paints nude women!). "The January Man" isn't an important picture, nor is it exceptional, but the final results are a little bit daft and often engaging. **1/2 from ****

"The January Man" is a complete dud, but it features some talented actors led by Kevin Kline - good enough to pull it away from complete turkey-dom. Director Pat O Connor has really blown it with trying to mix genres here. Is it drama; is it thriller; is it comedy? Well really it does none of these genres well at all. It's schizophrenic is what it is. At it's worst you have awful 80s Gong show-bad thriller synthesizer music blasting in like lasers announcing "tense atmosphere" - total cheese. Kevin Kline is a great actor full of charisma, and Steiger and Aiello are full fledge in support. Well underplayed and along for the ride is Alan Rickman in a more-or-less bit part for fun. Unfortunately the romances are fairly standard although Mastrantonio does OK, but Surandon mails it in pretty much - or maybe it's poor direction. By the end of the movie, you'll be glad the mess is over and the killer is an afterthought. Pointless and unfortunately run-of-mill.