Film Review - Dark Crimes (2018)

The must-see noir thriller starring a startlingly different Jim Carrey

Available on Digital 2nd July and DVD 9th July 2018 from Signature Entertainment.

Jim Carrey commands the screen in this exciting new direction for the iconic actor, bringing to life a broken and well-weathered detective desperate to fan the last ionate ember that remains before his self-destruction. Carrey more than holds his own even opposite the equally powerful Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac Vol. I, Antichrist) and Marton Csokas (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), whose own stand-out performance conjures a charismatic, yet tormenting antagonist who is as unpredictable as the twisted story.

Dark Crimes is unflinching in its depiction of the criminal world that lies behind closed doors. Scenes of depraved torture at times mimic those of horror films, yet in others, carry the grace of macabre art installations. Michal Englert’s cinematography perfectly captures an Eastern Europe numbed and oppressed by a parasitic criminality, where the absence of bright colour is the absence of hope.

Synopsis

When a crime novelist shares intimate knowledge of an unsolved murder, disgraced detective Tadek (Jim Carrey) sees an opportunity to end his career with honour. The author, outspoken provocateur Kozlow (Marton Csokas), isn’t as slippery as his prose implies, however. Trapped in a battle of wits that will test his very moral fibre, the hardened investigator must confront the shadows lurking in every corner if he hopes to uncover what the truth is, or really means.

Review – Contains Spoilers

Carrey plays a completely opposite role to the slapstick comedian that many love, proving that he can be a versatile actor, but that being said, he shines more as a comedian than as this very dark serious character. The film is slow to pick up and starts very graphic with violent sex scenes, so fair warning if this is not your sort of film, this is how it starts!

Tadek is trying to uncover the mystery of a murder, and once the man he has been hunting down for so long is in custardy, he begins to realise he may well have the wrong man, but the chief of police is not interested now as it means promotion and the whole police feel dirty.

The film ends an on a twist, and quite sudden! But It wraps up nicely so does not leave you with questions.

It is a rather slow film, but that’s not always a bad thing as it gives you time to process what you are watching and how all the characters fit in with each other. It is a film inspired by actual events, so maybe this shouldn’t be fast-paced, and if we this whilst watching it gives a different feel and meaning to the film.

As the title states, a dark crime, one that is based on actual events is always a bit more chilling.