314. See How They Run; movie review

 

SEE HOW THEY RUN

Cert 12A

94 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, bloody images

I feel almost embarrassed to admit that, unlike ten million theatre-goers, we have never seen The Mousetrap.

We enjoy visiting The West End so must get around to it one day although I suspect by the time we do, it will have finally ended its run.

Anyway, See How They Run is a whodunnit, based around THE whodunnit.

Tom George's film is narrated by Adrien Brody who portrays an arrogant and controversial movie director scheduled to be at the helm of an adaptation of the famous play.

But murder most foul turns out to be the obstacle to movie production.

The big plus of See How They Run is the chemistry between the seen-it-all detective inspector, played with an admirable English accent by Sam Rockwell, and an overly eager constable (Saoirse Ronan).

Ronan has all of the film's best comedy lines and presents them in a lovely naive deadpan.

In Doctor Watson-style, she is constantly jumping to conclusions as the pair interview the flamboyant cast and background team of The Mousetrap in search of the killer.

Meanwhile, this is a proper mystery with clues being laid for the observant viewers (not me) who fancy themselves a sleuth.

See How They Run looks great - with echoes of those great British comedies of the 1950s.

It is crisp, smartly told and will be a joy for those who have a passion for theatre and cinema.

It makes a distinct and pleasurable change from much of the modern movie diet.

Reasons to watch: Unusual whodunnit

Reasons to avoid: A bit too clipped

Laughs: Two

Jumps: One

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Mousetrap was originally written as a 20-minute radio drama for Queen Mary as an 80th birthday gift, following her request for a new radio play by Agatha Christie.

The final word. Saoirse Ronan: "He's the best. I'd only heard wonderful things about him as a person. He's just one of the most exciting actors that we have. I had the best time working with Sam Rockwell, he feels like a proper friend now." Elle

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