When you watch as many movies as I do, there are sometimes titles which you really don’t want a review about. Movies which are nice to watch and can be good, but of which you really don’t want to be too critical (or simply don’t have much to say about). And it sometimes happens that I decide not to write about such a film, despite it deserving some attention. A Kind of Murder is a movie which does a lot of things right, but which at the same time isn’t one everyone should see.
It’s the sixties and Walter Stackhouse (Patrick Wilson) lives together with his wife Clara (Jesscia Biel). He’s an architect, but also an aspiring crime story writer. When reading the newspaper he becomes obsessed by an article about an unsolved crime in which a wife was murdered. He suspects that the husband (Eddie Marsden) did it. He starts gathering more information while struggling with his wife’s depression as she doesn’t give him a moment for himself. He slowly gets involved in the murder case and is face to face with the possible murderer and an over-obsessive police officer.
A lot of positive things can be said about this film. Especially the sixties are brought to life beautifully with great costumes, cars and interiors. The acting is good too and the story is a nice slow-burn which makes the viewer wonder what is going on and where it all is heading. But it’s that last part where the movie doesn’t fully succeed, making you wonder if the writers couldn’t find a way to end it, making the last fifteen minutes feel rushed, making the conclusion not as satisfying as it should have been. A Kind of Murder is one of those titles you might not read much about, but which is an ok time waster.
