REPTILE
US, 2023, 134 minutes, Colour.
Benicio del Toro, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Silverstone, Eric Bogosian, Dominick Lombardo, Frances Fisher, Ato Essandoh, Michael Pitt, Karl Glusman, Thad Luckinbill.
Directed by Grant Singer.
Reptile – the audience will have to work out their understanding of the title, though there is a suggestion at one stage of a sloughed snakeskin.
This is a murder mystery. But the film is, strongly, a police investigation. The setting is a New England town, the focus on real estate and agents, and, as the complications of the plot develop, issues of drug dealing and corruption.
Benicio del Toro plays an upright detective, dedicated to his work, his relationship with his wife, Judy, played by Alicia Silverstone, who can be hostess in the traditional sense but also collaborates with her husband in his investigations and with suggestions for solutions. There is a very good cast led by Justin Timberlake has Will, and he is a real estate hotshot, Frances Fisher as his mother, Michael Pitt as Ely, an eccentric victim of real estate dealings, Eric Bogosian as the police commander.
When Will’s partner and fiancee is murdered, he is under suspicion as is his mother who is very dominating of him and partner in their agency. There is also the murdered woman’s ex-husband, who responds in a very surly way to the investigations. Then there is the always suspicious Ely, a potential murderer.
In many ways, the plot is quite convoluted and requires audience attention, the screenplay not always filling in some details about characters and their behaviour, the audience having to be alert to pick up the connections.
It is also complicated in its portrait of the personal struggles of the detective, his career, doing the right thing, relationship with his wife, with friends (especially well and offers him a well-paying security job connected with the real estate agency), and his commander who is suffering from MS.
Some excellent ingredients, but demanding in audience attention.
- The title, the references, the sloughed skin?
- A New England town, homes, streets, luxury mansions, police precincts, police clubs, restaurants, houses in the woods? Feel? Musical score? Theme songs, Angel of the morning? Knocking at my door…?
- The setting, the real estate industry, will and Summer, showing people around, the language of the agents, promotions, Will, the clashes with Summer, with his mother, going to the convention, his speech? Praise? Going home, the clash with Summer? The next day, going to the house, findings Summer dead? The police, the interrogations, the neighbours, the witness? Ely being present?
- Introduction to Tom, the card game, the friends, the police, the banter? Introduction to Judy, to Robert Allen and his command, news of MS?
- Tom, age, experience, personality, wanting to be a cop, integrity, the past, the investigation, colleagues wary? Support of Robert Allen? The scene of the crime, suspicions, the interviews with Will, his explanations, personality, smooth? The interrogation of Summer’s friend, the scene at the pool, her testimony? The information about the ex-husband, tracking him down, the visit, his surly response, the drug background, the interrogation, the later visit, the gun, Tom shooting, his death? The visit to Ely, suspicions, his behaviour?
- The background of the real estate company, the domination of Wil’ls mother, Will and Summer, the arrangements, the deals, the information about the transactions, Tom finding the documents, further information, arrangements and covers?
- The implication of drugs in dealing, Tom examining the drugs in quarantine, the packaging, the information about the agency and the drug connections? Wally, offering Tom the job for security, the ring and badge? Wally and the connection?
- Tom, his relationship with Judy, love, her contributions to the cases, suggestions to follow? Tom listening into her phone calls?
- Tom, the consequences of shooting the ex-husband, hearing, the support of his workers, the issue of the metal, his not wanting it, the final announcement?
- Tom, his working with Cleary, friendship, interactions, the work, at the office? Tom and his surveillance, cameras, phones and listening in?
- The birthday party for Robert Allen, the issue of the car, Judy and her comments, finding the car in the garage, talking with Robert Allen? Coming back the next day, coming up the drive, Allen being shot, Tom accompanied by his superior, the Superior and the gun, Wally, the deaths?
- Will, the golf course, his being arrested?
- The film as a story of small town police investigation, business and corruption, police corruption, drugs?
