Dark Crimes

Dark Crimes (originally released in film festivals before 2018 as True Crimes) is a 2016 detective drama film directed by Alexandros Avranas and written by Jeremy Brock. It is based on David Grann's article "True Crime: A Postmodern Murder Mystery", about convicted murderer Krystian Bala, published in 2008 by The New Yorker.[1] The film stars Jim Carrey, Agata Kulesza, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kati Outinen, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Marton Csokas, and follows a detective who notices similarities between a cold case murder and a best-selling novel.

Dark Crimes
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlexandros Avranas
Produced by
  • John Cheng
  • David Gerson
  • Simon Horsman
  • Brett Ratner
  • Jeffrey Soros
Screenplay byJeremy Brock
Based on"True Crime"
by David Grann
Starring
Music by
CinematographyMichal Englert
Edited byAgnieszka Glinska
Production
company
Distributed bySaban Films
Release date
  • October 12, 2016 (2016-10-12) (Warsaw Film Festival)
  • May 18, 2018 (2018-05-18) (United States)
Running time
92 minutes
Country
  • Poland
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Producer Brett Ratner had True Crimes in development since 2010. Principal photography began on 12 November 2015 in Kraków, Poland and ended on 13 December 2015. It held its premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival on 12 October 2016, and had a limited theatrical release in only a few countries, such as the United States, in 2018.[2] The Lionsgate Films home entertainment division, Lionsgate Unlocked, released Dark Crimes on Blu-ray and DVD on 31 July 2018. On 21 May 2018, the company revealed a new trailer for the film to promote this home video release.[3]

Despite some praise for the cast, critics panned Dark Crimes for its pacing, overly downcast tone, and objectionable presentation of abused women. It is one of the worst-reviewed films of 2018, holding a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Synopsis

Tadek is a detective who takes on a case involving the murder of a businessman. To his and everyone's surprise the case is identical to a character's murder in a recently published novel by a man named Kozlov. While the crime appears to be an open and shut case, Tadek discovers a darker secret.

Cast

Development

An article from The Hollywood Reporter published on 29 September 2010 revealed Brett Ratner's company RatPac Entertainment was developing a film named True Crimes with Focus Features.[4] On 7 April 2011, Deadline Hollywood reported that the script was written by Jeremy Brock, and Roman Polanski was "circling" the project.[5] On 7 June 2013, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Focus Features dropped out in 2012, and Christoph Waltz would play Jacek Wroblewski.[6] On 14 May 2015, TheWrap announced that Waltz was replaced with Jim Carrey for Wroblewski and that Miss Violence (2013) director Alexandros Avranas would direct True Crimes; David Gerson, Ewa Puszczynska, and Michael Aguilar were also revealed to be producers.[7] Page Six announced on 21 October 2015 that Charlotte Gainsbourg was "in talks" to be in True Crimes.[8]

Production

Principal photography on the film began on 12 November 2015 in Kraków, Poland, wrapping up on 13 December 2015.[9][10] After filming completed, Carrey kept the beard he grew for his role while presenting the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, while garnered several Twitter reaction posts.[11] Although the filming location and most of the crew of True Crimes was Polish, the film was an international production due to its actors coming from various countries,[12] such as Canada (Carrey), Britain (Gainsbourg), Romania (Ivanov), and Finland (Outinen); and some of its producers being American and Canadian.[12] Due to the Poland setting of the subject of the New Yorker story, producers David Gerson and Kasia Nabiałczyk contacted the biggest figure of the film industry in Poland, Opus Film, to help on True Crimes;[13] the company was most known for Ida (2015), a film that, only months before True Crimes began principal photography, won an Academy Award.[12]

According to Culture.pl, this plus the cast and crew of the film coming from various countries indicated a re-interest in Polish cinema worldwide.[12] Polish film journalist Darek Kuźma, writing a feature upon True Crimes' 2016 premiere at Warsaw, reported "opportunities in the rapidly developing Polish film industry, with its quality casts and crews, its variety of locations that can stand in for almost every part of the world, and its growing number of regional film commmissions."[13] The Polish Film Institute contributed €446,000[14] to True Crimes' €4 million budget.[13] Explained Ewa Puszczyńska, who attached the Polish Film Institute as well as the Kraków Film Commission for financing, "We’ve made a film with American producers, and international stars, for a fraction of what it would have cost in the US or Western Europe."[13]

Release

The first stills of True Crimes were released on 27 November 2015.[15] The film had its world premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival on 12 October 2016, under the name True Crimes.[16][17][18] Saban Films picked up the distribution rights for North America on 4 April 2017.[19] On 25 January 2018, Jim Carrey announced that the film's title had been changed to Dark Crimes and that the North American theatrical release would likely occur in April.[20] Myrkur's song "Skøgen Skulle Dø" was used in the trailer.[21] The U.S. theatrical release was later announced as 18 May 2018, with an earlier DirecTV exclusive release on 19 April.[22] Internationally, Dark Crimes only ran for one week in Colombia,[23] Italy,[24] and Hungary;[25] and only for a week longer in Portugal.[26]

Dark Crimes was released to Blu-ray in Canada on 17 July 2018,[27] the United States on 31 July 2018,[28] Sweden on 30 January 2019,[29] Italy on 7 February 2019,[30] France on 2 May 2019,[31] and Germany on 14 June 2019.[32] Dark Crimes also garnered DVD releases in the United States, issued on 31 July 2018;[33] and Taiwan, on 28 June 2019.[34] Wal-mart exclusively sold versions of the Blu-ray that were also packed with a DVD.[35]

Critical response

Before the release of True Crimes, sources such as The Playlist and The Independent were excited for the project due to the involvements of Avranas, Gainsbourg, and Kulesza; but were a bit skeptical due to Carrey's previous involvement in a dark thriller, The Number 23 (2007), being terrible.[36][15] Marshall Lemon, responding to the November 2015 still revelations, wrote Carrey "absolutely looks the part," and "the visual style is also reminiscent of shows like True Detective which transformed actors like Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey into surprising dramatic presences. If True Crimes can do the same for Carrey, it might just be worth keeping an eye on."[37]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rare approval rating of 0% – meaning no favorable reviews whatsoever – based on reviews from 35 critics, with an average rating of 2.56/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Dark Crimes is a rote, unpleasant thriller that fails to parlay its compelling true story and a committed Jim Carrey performance into even modest chills."[38] On Metacritic the film has score of 24 out of 100 based on 14 critics,[39] and their editorial stated "this Polish-set but English-language entry stars a bearded, accented, against-type (and, apparently, against-ability) Jim Carrey in a bleak, violent crime thriller described by critics as 'misogynistic,' 'depressing,' 'ugly,' and 'abysmal.'"[40] It is the eighth lowest-ranking 2018 film on the site.[40]

Reviews targeted the film's overly gloomy and unexciting tone,[41][42][43] which ruined a potentially enjoyable plot;[44][45] and the pacing's slow and excessively-tense build,[45][46] which Owen Gleiberman of Variety found especially a problem with details of the mystery being "all far too obvious."[47] The New York Times called the last act its best part simply for having far more action than the previous sequences.[45] The A.V. Club summarized that the film replaced the "source material’s appealing elements and characterizations with overcomplicated thriller clichés and humorless prurience,"[48] and IGN critic Witney Seibold criticized its predictable plot, as "it can be seen in just about every episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent."[46] The film's exploitative scenes involving physical and sexual abuse towards women also turned several critics off,[49][50][41][51][52] one critic from Slant Magazine describing them as "blatantly misogynistic."[53]

The film's technical aspects were divisively received. The A.V. Club summarized the directing as "leaden and one-note in its attempt to imitate the bleakness of Swedish and Norwegian crime imports in an indifferent Eastern European setting; the sky is always overcast and the characters are all dressed like they’re on their way to a funeral."[48] The New York Observer panned the "ugly, sterile sets" and poor photography;[50] SF Weekly called the shot compositions gimmicky;[43] while Oktay Kozak Ege opined the "aesthetically repetitive" visuals made tension sequences more unbearable to watch.[44] However, Consequence of Sound writer Randall Colburn stated "Avranas' muted, sterile style pops with a few flourishes, mainly in his knack for cultivating a truly unsettling aura around the starkness of the film’s depravity." He also praised the use of POV shots for "creating a curious sense of alienation, as if one is both inside the film but outside of its truth, looking in at the larger reality."[54] Luke W. Thompson of Forbes applauded the editing and directing for matching the mood of the story,[55] and David Lewis of the San Francisco Chronicle honored its "impressive" production design.[52]

Opinions towards Carrey's performances ranged from positive[45][51] and the film's only redeeming factor[50][44][49] to his worst-ever dramatic performance.[48] In addition to several criticisms towards his fake Polish accent,[44][55][48] Gleiberman wrote that "Carrey broods and stares like an actor who’s out to muffle any hint of his natural spirit by swathing it in poker-faced gloom,"[47] and the New York Post summarized Carrey as "so muted and sedate [...] he blends into the background. That’s not easy to do when most of his scenes involve no more than two people."[41] The character of Tadek was also criticized as "underwritten"[52] to the point of being "an ordinary person doing his ordinary job [...] even if the circumstances are extraordinary."[56] Colburn explained, "Tadek is a character written to be devoid of charm or humor and, as such, Carrey has no opportunities to draw upon the anxious, springy energy of Man on the Moon or the desperate, aching despair of Eternal Sunshine."[54] IGN wrote the character was too "empty" for someone supposedly obsessed with the case he was solving.[46]

The supporting actors, such as Csokas, Outinen, Ivanov, and Gainsbourg were positively commented on;[48][47][56][52] some critics found Csokas to be the film's best actor,[56] Thompson explaining that he "strikes the right balance of legitimate rage and pretentious self-importance that you could imagine youngsters embracing."[55] However, Colburn felt that Csokas' "icky vein of cruelty", Gainsbourg's "compelling bloodletting", and Wieckiewicz's "pulp paperback" style contradicted the tone of Carrey's performance, resulting in "imbalance that serves to sink the film."[54]

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See also

References
  1. Grann, David (4 February 2008). "True Crime: A Postmodern Murder Mystery". The New Yorker. New York City: Condé Nast. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  2. Collis, Clark (April 11, 2018). "Jim Carrey is an obsessed cop in Dark Crimes trailer". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  3. Carson, Rene (21 May 2018). "Lionsgate Unlocked to release the Saban Films crime thriller Dark Crimes on home video this July". Film Fetish. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  4. Szalai, Georg (29 September 2010). "Brett Ratner takes 'Communist' option". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  5. Fleming Jr., Mike (April 7, 2011). "Paramount, Indian Paintbrush And Film Rites Win Auction For David Grann's 'A Murder Foretold'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  6. Siegel, Tatiana (7 June 2013). "Christoph Waltz to Star in 'True Crimes' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  7. Sneider, Jeff (May 14, 2015). "Jim Carrey in Talks to Star in Brett Ratner-Produced Thriller 'True Crimes' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  8. Siegler, Mara (21 October 2015). "Charlotte Gainsbourg in talks for Jim Carrey film". Page Six. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  9. Blaney, Martin (22 October 2015). "Jim Carrey thriller 'True Crimes' sets Krakow shoot date". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  10. SSN Insider Staff (13 November 2015). "On the Set for 11/13/15: Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez Start on 'Tomboy', Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger Wrap 'Midnight Sun'". SSN Insider. TSS News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  11. Hardingham-Gill, Tamara (11 January 2016). "Jim Carrey's beard stole the show at the Golden Globes". Metro. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  12. "Jim Carrey Starring in Polish Crime Thriller". Culture.pl. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  13. Kuźma, Darek (November 2016). "Polish Film that Carreys Away" (PDF). Polish Film Magazine. No. 3. pp. 18–19. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  14. "News" (PDF). Polish Film Magazine. No. 1. 2016. p. 4. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  15. Loughrey, Clarisse (27 November 2015). "Jim Carrey gets serious, beardy in new film True Crimes". The Independent. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  16. "Prawdziwe Zbrodnie (True Crimes)". Festival 2017. Warsaw Film Festival. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  17. Hime, Nelly (2 September 2016). "TRUE CRIMES 2016 STARRING JIM CARREY BASED ON BIZARRE TRUE STORY". Nagame Digital. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  18. Grater, Tom (2 September 2016). "Jim Carrey-Charlotte Gainsbourg thriller to premiere at Warsaw fest". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
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  20. Araújo, Eva (25 January 2018). "True Crimes Has a New Title and Coming in Theaters". Jim Carrey Online. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
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  22. Sharf, Zack (11 April 2018). "'Dark Crimes' Trailer: Jim Carrey Hunts For a Murderer in First Lead Acting Role in Four Years". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  23. "Dark Crimes (Colombia)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  24. "Dark Crimes (Italy)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  25. "Dark Crimes (Hungary)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  26. "Dark Crimes (Portugal)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  27. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date July 17, 2018 (Crimes cachés / Bilingual) (Canada)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  28. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date July 31, 2018 (Blu-ray + Digital HD)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  29. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date January 30, 2019 (Sweden)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  30. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date February 7, 2019 (Italy)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  31. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date May 2, 2019 (Dark Murders) (France)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  32. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date June 14, 2019 (Germany)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  33. "Dark Crimes DVD Release Date July 31, 2018 (United States)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  34. "Dark Crimes DVD Release Date June 28, 2019 (闇罪無間) (Taiwan)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  35. "Dark Crimes Blu-ray Release Date July 31, 2018 (Wal-Mart Exclusive)". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  36. Kiang, Jessica; Lyttelton, Oliver (5 January 2016). "The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2016". The Playlist. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  37. Lemon, Marshall (30 November 2015). "Jim Carrey Hunts A Killer In First True Crimes Images". Escapist Magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  38. "Dark Crimes (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  39. "Dark Crimes Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  40. "The Worst Movies of 2018: Dark Crimes". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  41. Oleksinski, Johnny (17 May 2018). "Jim Carrey should be ashamed of exploitive 'Dark Crimes'". New York Post. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  42. Harley, Joe (25 July 2018). "Dark Crimes". Starburst. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
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  46. Seibold, Witney (19 April 2018). "Dark Crimes Review". IGN. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  47. Gleiberman, Owen (22 May 2018). "Film Review: Jim Carrey in 'Dark Crimes'". Variety. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  48. Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (16 May 2018). "Who's there? It's Dark Crimes, the dark crime thriller where Jim Carrey plays a Polish cop". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
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  50. Reed, Rex (18 May 2018). "'Dark Crimes' Backfires Like a Meal of Refried Beans". The New York Observer. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  51. Roeper, Richard (17 May 2018). "Jim Carrey in 'Dark Crimes.'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  52. Lewis, David (17 May 2018). "'Dark Crimes': Jim Carrey goes dark in tawdry crime story". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  53. "Review: Dark Crimes". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  54. Colburn, Randall (10 May 2018). "Film Review: Jim Carrey is a joyless detective in the grim wannabe noir Dark Crimes". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  55. Thompson, Luke Y. (31 July 2018). "Blu-ray Review: Jim Carrey's 'Dark Crimes' Is No Felony, Just A Cinematic Misdemeanor". Forbes. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  56. McDonagh, Maitland (17 May 2018). "Film Review: Dark Crimes". Film Journal International. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
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