Crowe fails to fly as misguided maniac
Lack of pedigree behind the camera
Russell Crowe is an actor I have had a love-hate relationship with over the years.
Every time I’ve been ready to write him off as past his prime he shines in work like The Nice Guys and Boy Erased.
Regrettably, Unhinged takes him back to the edge of the acting abyss, right alongside The Mummy and Noah.
Crowe, director Derrick Borte and writer Carl Ellsworth must really have been hoping no-one had seen Falling Down before checking this out.
Like Michael Douglas in that vastly superior 1993 flick, Crowe plays an unstable male – simply known as Man – who goes off the deep end following a road-rage incident.
The target of his unrelenting anger is Caren Pistorius’ Rachel who soon realises it’s not just her but everyone she knows who are in this crazed stranger’s sights.
Borte doesn’t have much of a directorial background to speak of, while Ellsworth penned generic thrillers
Disturbia and Red Eye, along with misguided remakes The Last House on the Left and Red Dawn.
With the lack of pedigree behind the camera, a lot was riding on Crowe’s shoulders to carry this basic, overlyfamiliar movie.
But while not awful, the New Zealander just doesn’t convince as a maniac at the end of his tether – and he appears as though his heart isn’t in the role.
Pistorius, in by far her biggest turn yet, fares better in what could have been a thankless task as the put-upon, victimised target.
As expected given the subject matter, the tone of Borte’s film is grim and the helmer does a good job of portraying that through desaturated colouring and air pollution, as well as arming Man with simple-but-deadly weaponry.
He and Ellsworth also earn credit for a few surprise turns during the final third.
It’s just unfortunate they couldn’t inject a larger dose of originality, or coax a more fittingly furious performance from their leading man.
Hopefully a role in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder can get Crowe back on firmer footing.
●What are your thoughts on Unhinged? Are you a fan of Russell Crowe? If so, which of his films are your favourites?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.