The Lodger (DVD)

Based on a novel by Marie Belloc-Lowndes novel which was the basis for a 1927 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Lodger isn't the anything new. It's been adapted for the screen at least three other times: by Maurice Elvey in 1932; by John Brahm in 1944; and as Man in the Attic in 1953. Lo these many years later, the story of a Jack The Ripper copycat who's come back to finish his idol's work, is trotted out once again.

Personally, I can never get enough of The Ripper, and the cast here is stellar, so I was all-in from the git-go. (Then again, I even liked From Hell... so take my penchant for Jack attacks with the requisite grain of salt.)

Taking place in modern-day West Hollywood, this low-budget, but painstakingly presented movie follows a seasoned detective on the trail of a grisly killer whose focus seems only to be on ladies of the night. They even seem uncannily… gasp! …Ripper-like. Oddly enough, these crimes also seem to mirror the M.O. of a serial slasher that Det. Manning put behind bars years ago. Did he incarcerate the wrong man?

As the questions mount, so too does the list of possible suspects: Could it be Manning himself? The lonely landlady (Hope Davis) who can't stop fantasizing about her hunky new tenant (Simon Baker)? Or maybe it's the landlady's errant husband (Donal Logue), who stays out till all hours of the night.

The Lodger's got solid performances by Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, Simon Baker, Shane West, Philip Baker Hall, Rachael Leigh Cook, and Donal Logue. There's a big cast of characters, and the suspense is nicely drawn out, punctuated with just enough bloodlust to keep horror hounds happy (though I would categorize the movie more in the suspense vein). Director David Ondaatje puts forth some well thought out, arty visuals, and his screenplay is laced with barby dialogue that rolls nicely off the tongues of his capable cast without coming off campy.

That's not to say the movie's perfect or will make anyone's ten best of the year lists; it's definitely a little too self-indulgent with the camera and editing tricks, runs a tad slow at times, and it's easy enough to figure out who the killer is pretty early on. But, if you like the murderous milieu and you're a fan of any of these fine actors, The Lodger is worth the price of a one-night rental.

In Theaters: January 23, 2009 

On DVD: February 10, 2009 

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