His name means "Wind in your pants" or "Dances with Ted," or something. He's represented a whole generation of slackers in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. He's traveled in time, pranced (ok, fought) in black leather, and has forever immortalized the acting potential of the word "whoa." Now, Keanu Reeves is going to get serious. And scary.
Or, at any rate, he'll kill the audience trying.
In The Watcher, James Spader stars as jaded FBI agent Joel Campbell, who relocates to Chicago in order to get his life back together. Through a series of mental flashbacks and therapy sessions opposite Marisa Tomei, the audience pieces together the trauma of his past: the death of a loved-one and the frustration of unsuccessfully pursuing serial killer David Allen Griffen (Reeves).
Griffen is a suave young killer who takes pleasure in meticulously stalking young women and then strangling them in their homes. Joel's effort to escape from the past is thwarted as he realizes that his work - and Griffen -has followed him. The killer takes pleasure in his cat-and-mouse game with agent Campbell, eventually following him to Chicago and taunting him with a new series of murders. Not surprisingly, Campbell emerges from his pathetic routine of solitude and therapy to track down Griffen once again.
Despite an effective, fast-paced visual style and a tension-inducing audio track, The Watcher fails in many other areas. First off, the general absence of originality in the story creates the feel of a TV movie. Take away the Hollywood cast and the big budget, and The Watcher would be a perfect candidate for a USA or TNT original.
Overall, the casting for the Watcher is a recipe for disaster. Although Spader does a fine job, Marisa Tomei is downright awful as his therapist and predictable love interest. How can we take her seriously when she keeps repeating the same line: "How does that make you feel, Joel?" And how does Keanu the killer make you feel? Scared? Just about anyone would probably trust Keanu to visit late at night, even after seeing this film. The sad truth is that his image does not lend itself to a full range of roles. He can be goofy, he can be a stud, he can even be a badass, but he can't be a psychopath. He should leave that trade to the DeNiros and Hoppers.
As the film builds towards its climactic ending, it is only natural for cop and killer to meet. Oddly enough - and not without some giggling among the audience - Griffen simply wants Joel to be his best friend. The scene is goofy, not because it's inconceivable for a serial killer to become obsessed with his pursuer, but rather because there's not enough psychological set-up for that kind of behavior. We don't really know why Griffen wants to be Joel's friend. In fact, we don't even really know why he kills - he just does.
One of the main themes of the film is the anonymity of city life. Before killing his victims, Griffen mails Joel a photograph of the unlucky girl. Joel then has one day to track her down and save her. You'd think that a police force with the media and other various resources at its disposal could easily locate a face that hundreds of people must see everyday. Well, it's not that easy. In The Watcher, the city is a lonely place.
Fortunately, The Watcher is not without its positive qualities. The visual work in the film creates excellent tension. Certain scenes have the feel of a choreographed music video - it's creepy. Flashing images of a dark and decaying city, reminiscent of the Crow series, enhance that atmosphere.
Most important is that, in spite of its numerous conceptual flaws, the film is entertaining. It's not long and drawn-out like many modern movies, and suspenseful enough for most. If you've got nothing better to do, and are willing to shell out $8.75, you might want to check out this film. Until then, sleep tight and hope that Keanu isn't (or is?) watching you.
