Load of rubbish!!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

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 ****

I just saw this on TV by chance. I thought it was a great little movie despite the critics and mixed reviews. I really enjoyed it because I didn't take it too seriously as either a murder mystery or as a comedy. I just let it happen while I was working on a hobby project, and I liked it. The movie contains a surprising all-star cast, none of whom took their roles too seriously; I felt that they simply enjoyed doing the movie. So I think it's a greatly under-rated little gem of a flick. So if it shows up on your TV screen, give it a chance. It was engaging and very entertaining. Cast: Kevin Kline: Nick Starkey Susan Sarando: Christine Starkey Mary Elizabeth Mastranton: Bernadette Flynn Harvey Keitel: Frank Starkey Danny Aiello: Capt. Vincent Alcoa Rod Steiger: Mayor Eamon Flynn Alan Rickman: Ed And Errol Slue: Chief Sunday - Errol was a friend of mine from college and came to my wedding back in 1969. I knew he had been in some movies and had seen a couple, but didn't know he was in this one, so that was a nice surprise.

So how could it have turned out so awful? How can you have Kline and Keitel, Steiger and Sarandon, Aiello, Rickman, Mastrantonio, and yet produce such a stinker? Start with an awful script. 1,000 monkeys couldn't have done worse.From there, proceed to unbelievably bad direction.I kept waiting for it to get funny, since it was never going to get serious. It was never going to make sense. But the comedic talents of many of the cast were wasted as well.I thought the actors might revolt, mid filming. I mean, after all, why have your name associated with this kind of a stinker? I kept thinking of "The Producers." The producers of this lemon must have sold 1,000% of the movie, right? They needed to have it go straight down the toilet so they could pocket the investors' money without having to account for it. There would be no "Springtime with Hitler" to save the day.But Norman Jewison produced this. He's made a dozen great movies! This doesn't belong in the vault at MGM. It belongs in a crypt at Forest Lawn. With a stake through its heart.

Basically this film couldn't get out of its own way. The screenplay wasn't anywhere near as tight as the genre requires. It has a very "TV" feel to it. I couldn't help feeling certain scenes needed to be cut and the information contained in them shown a different way. I liked Rod Steiger screaming and threatening his way through the movie. It provided contrast to the placid and implausible faux-cop dialogue they cobbled together. Whoever wrote this script _does not_ know cops. I guess they figured having a gunless, New York maverick detective who does things the "feng shui" way was somehow hip. Investigation work is plodding and requires a lot of phone calls, evidence, and leads. You deal with a lot of liars and people who hate cops. That's why cops are like brothers because you have to be down for each other to stay sane, if not safe. Most gum-shoe stories convey this sentiment to some degree. Nick just sits back and gets "a ha!" moments and figures out the whole thing with these improbable crime scene and victim photographs (That, BTW, the art department really let the director down on creating - But they did a great job on the snaps found in the book at Nick's apartment). I didn't buy into the romance angles they tried to play, mainly because nothing led up to them other than some lonely writer's fantasy of how he wishes women were. An ex-girlfriend coming "back to her ex's place" for a home-cooked meal for no apparent reason? And then some "23 year old" (really? she looks 30!) gets into bed with Kevin Kline merely on his say so? Well... okay maybe that's not so improbable. And he's got this phony angst like he's too old for her? PUH-LEEZE! Since when has Hollywood (or any man) not been fine with 23 year olds in bed with 40 year olds? The whole thing is a study in how actors can only do so much. C'mon: Danny Aiello (Oscar nom./Gold Globe nom.), Kevin Kline (Oscar winner, Gold Globe Nom.); freakin' Alan Rickman (Golden Globe win, BAFTA win)and Harvey Keitel (Oscar Win, Globe nom.)is in it, how'd they screw the pooch so bad? Watch it on TV if it shows up some night. MST3K fodder, especially in the 3rd act's fight scene. Craptacular!