The Lodger (2009 film)
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''The Lodger'' is a 2009
mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...
/
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
directed by
David Ondaatje David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
and starring
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
,
Hope Davis Hope Davis is an American actress. She is known for her performances on stage and screen earning various awards and nominations including a Tony Award nomination, as well two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Award nominations. She ...
and
Simon Baker Simon Lucas Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor in television and film, as well as a director. He is known for his lead roles in the CBS television series ''The Mentalist'' as Patrick Jane and ''The Guardian'' as Nicholas Fallin ...
. It is based on the 1913 novel '' The Lodger'' by
Marie Belloc Lowndes Marie Adelaide Elizabeth Rayner Lowndes (née Belloc; 5 August 1868 – 14 November 1947), who wrote as Marie Belloc Lowndes, was a prolific English novelist, and sister of author Hilaire Belloc. Active from 1898 until her death, she had a li ...
, filmed previously by Alfred Hitchcock in 1927, by Maurice Elvey in 1932, by John Brahm in 1944, and as ''
Man in the Attic ''Man in the Attic'' is a 1953 mystery film directed by Hugo Fregonese. It was released in the United States on December 23 by Twentieth Century Fox. The movie is based on the 1913 novel '' The Lodger'' by Marie Belloc Lowndes, which fictionaliz ...
'' (1953) directed by
Hugo Fregonese Hugo Geronimo Fregonese (April 8, 1908 in Mendoza – January 11, 1987 in Tigre) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter who worked both in Hollywood and his home country.''Cine Nacional''Hugo Fregonese filmographyCinenacional.com ...
.


Synopsis

The film follows two parallel stories, one being about a troubled detective (Molina) who plays a cat-and-mouse game with an unknown killer and the other being about an emotionally disturbed landlady and her relationship with an enigmatic "lodger" (Simon Baker).


Plot

The story opens with a brutal murder of a
prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
taking place on
Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...
, in Hollywood. The
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
in charge is Chandler Manning and his rookie assistant is Street Wilkenson. They initially believe this is a stand-alone murder, but when a second prostitute is killed, the
medical examiner The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictio ...
says the two murders are not only eerily similar to two murders that took place 7 years prior, but they are exact copies of the first two
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
murders in 1888 London. Since Detective Manning had caught who he thought was the murderer of the previous crimes, they now realize the wrong person was tried, prosecuted and executed. Manning is also dealing with a wife who tried to commit suicide, and his estranged daughter, Amanda, who blames him for the attempt. In a second story line, a couple is looking to rent their guest house when a passerby comes to the door and says he wishes to rent the room. Ellen Bunting takes the lodger, Malcolm Slaight, to see the room and he immediately agrees to rent the guest house but says several times he cannot be disturbed since he is a writer, and needs complete quiet. When Ellen's husband, Joe, asks her why the "for rent" sign has been removed, she says she has rented the room but the lodger needs to be left alone. Joe does not believe she has rented the guest house because he never sees anyone coming or going from the premises, and because he knows his wife has episodes where she imagines things and needs to take medication. Ellen begins to have feelings for the lodger and she goes out of her way to see him. She catches him in their kitchen late one night and when he says he was looking for scissors, she reaches across him to pick up and hand him a pair, but he just takes them and walks out. The ripper copycat then commits two more murders, but this time he is seen by a witness who describes a man with a long black coat and a black bag. Manning notices a garbage can near the murder site with BATTY written on it; when he opens the lid, he finds a pair of bloody underwear that belong to one of the victims. Wilkenson is suspicious of how he knew there was something in the can, but Manning references the previous ripper murders and how they found a portion of clothing from one of the victims. Manning then goes to the old case files for the man he had previously arrested for the murders 7 years ago, and takes evidence of a letter that was written to him after the arrest had taken place. While there, he pulls his gun on the evidence clerk and tells him to stop following him. Ellen continues to make contact with the lodger by taking him breakfast and tea - anything to be near him. On one visit she sees a pair of her husband's boots drying on a newspaper, and Malcolm states they got muddy when he walked in the garden. The lodger then kisses her, and Joe can be seen in the house, beginning to head for the guest house. As he is nearing, Ellen opens the door and walks out with the boots, saying she was cleaning them. She sees a picture in the newspaper of a footprint taken of boots that is linked to the crime, and puts the sole of the boot on top of the picture, but then does nothing despite realizing that they are the same size. Joe, getting tired of what he thinks is Ellen's hallucination, forces her next door and tells her he doesn't want to hear another word about the imaginary lodger if they see no one in the room. When the door opens, no one is there and Ellen is left sitting in the rain while Joe disgustedly walks back to the house. Manning and Wilkenson begin investigating the suspects that are known to frequent the area where the killings are taking place, and this brings them into contact with Joe Bunting. They visit the Bunting home, and Ellen acts suspiciously when she takes them to see the guest house. They leave to get a warrant to search the place, but Manning is pulled into a meeting with the Captain of the precinct and the Mayor. Since he threatened the evidence clerk while at the station, they feel this - combined with his personal life - is causing him to lose touch with reality and they place him on suspension. Det. Wilkenson is left trying to solve the case without the assistance of Manning and when he sees Manning's name on a suspect list, he goes to the Captain. The Captain believes Manning is delusional and psychotic, and not only committed the murders 7 years ago but is obsessed with Jack the Ripper and is committing murders again, just so he can solve them. Manning realizes that the Captain suspects him and observes the Captain and officers searching his apartment, and that they have taken the letter he had stolen from evidence. Ellen, believing Malcolm is guilty but not caring, goes to the guest house to wipe it clean of any evidence he was ever there, and disturbs a cabinet, causing a gush of red liquid that appears to be blood to spill from it. Malcolm walks in then and confronts her about why she is there and says a bottle of red ink must have spilled. Ellen goes to the house to wash her hands and Malcolm walks in, carrying a black bag. Ellen - realizing he is either about to leave, or worse, kill her - says she will not tell anyone what she has seen and will do anything to protect him. Malcolm appears to let her take the bag from his hand. Meanwhile, Joe is at work and finds that the police have been there to talk to him and becomes agitated. Manning goes to Wilkenson to ask him for help, as there has been yet another murder, leaving only one woman left to be killed before the murderer disappears. Wilkenson agrees and they get the warrant they need to search the Bunting's guest house but initially find nothing. Manning then realizes the cabinet has not been opened and when they do, in it are maps with red ink and prints on them. Wilkenson and the Captain both look suspiciously at Manning because they believe he is planting evidence, and Wilkenson cuffs Manning to escort him in, though they also place a call to pick up Joe at work. When the police arrive, they realize Joe is no longer there. We see Manning's daughter, Amanda, leaving her dorm at college and being observed by someone in the shadows. Manning notices two maps at the scene, one of London during the Ripper murders and another of Hollywood, marking the current killing. He sees that the marks on the map line up for the past murders, except now there is a new mark on the Hollywood map that does not line up, and it is exactly where his daughter's dorm is. He talks Wilkenson into removing the cuffs and they head off to grab Amanda, but she is walking down the street, headed to a local venue. She is being followed by someone in a long black coat, wearing boots and begins to run. She stops and turns when she hears the sirens but the ripper has moved to the side and attempts to attack her when she stops. Manning sees the attack and runs off after the ripper, while Wilkenson stays with Amanda. The ripper is chased into the Bunting home where Manning, the Captain and several officers enter. We see Ellen in the living room, sitting in a rocking chair, wielding a long, curved knife. She drops the knife when they enter and go upstairs; they find Joe has been cut up very badly but is still alive. The ending provides an explanation for the killings; Ellen became schizophrenic by the death of her baby in child birth 8 years ago, and this sent her into a spiral of killing. She also made up the imaginary life that her son lived, and the lodger, who was a romantic interest for her. Though the police and the press accept that this is the truth and Ellen is the killer, Manning does not believe it and the last scene is Malcolm, at a new residence in Santa Monica, looking for new lodgings.


Cast

Storyline 1: *
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
as Chandler Manning, the troubled detective *
Rachael Leigh Cook Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress and model. She has starred in the films '' The Baby-Sitters Club'' (1995), '' She's All That'' (1999), and '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), and in the television series '' Into ...
as Amanda Manning, his estranged daughter *
Mel Harris Mary Ellen "Mel" Harris is an American actress best known for her role as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series ''Thirtysomething'' (1987–1991), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination in 1990. Early life and education Ha ...
as Margaret Manning, his suicidally depressed wife *
Shane West Shannon Bruce Snaith (born June 10, 1978), better known as Shane West, is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his portrayal of Eli Sammler in the ABC family drama '' Once and Again'', Landon Carter in ''A Walk to Remember' ...
as 'Street' Wilkenson, his rookie partner * Philip Baker Hall as the Police Chief *
Rebecca Pidgeon Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films, and a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She is married to American playwright David Mamet. Early life Pidgeon was born to Engl ...
as Dr. Jessica Westmin, an FBI profiler assisting with the case * Lancer Dean Shull as the Internal Affairs Officer who suspends Chandler Manning from his duties. Storyline 2: *
Hope Davis Hope Davis is an American actress. She is known for her performances on stage and screen earning various awards and nominations including a Tony Award nomination, as well two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Award nominations. She ...
as Ellen Bunting, the emotionally disturbed landlady *
Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the film '' The Tao of Steve'' and has had roles in the TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Vikings'', ''Grounded for Life'', ''Copper'', '' Terriers'', and, as Detecti ...
as Joe Bunting, her easily angered husband *
Simon Baker Simon Lucas Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor in television and film, as well as a director. He is known for his lead roles in the CBS television series ''The Mentalist'' as Patrick Jane and ''The Guardian'' as Nicholas Fallin ...
as Malcolm Slaight, the mysterious stranger who becomes their "lodger"


Release

The film premiered on January 23, 2009 in limited release in New York and Los Angeles, and was released on DVD on February 10, 2009.


Reception

The film drew negative reviews from most critics. The consensus on
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
is "An accomplished cast can't save a derivative suspense flick that manages to confuse and bore rather than thrill." It received a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 critic reviews. Writing in ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', John Anderson stated "''The Lodger'' seems intended to leave its audience as baffled as the London police were in 1888. Never mind that it rains constantly along Ondaatje’s Sunset Strip, or that the melodrama arrives like a monsoon. What needed to be a taut, structurally sound psycho-thriller instead malfunctions from the start." Joe Neumaier wrote in the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', "If you think you're tired of tedious thrillers, this B-movie has a cast that looks like they slept right through it... Filled with second-rate
Brian DePalma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
twists, noirishly blurred lights and usually solid actors mouthing potboiler brine, ''The Lodger'' resembles bottom-shelf '80s dreck." Robert Abele wrote in the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', "This strained, empty effort doesn't work as homage or update, and in its darkly violent sensibility has neither the glamour of
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
's referential nightmares or even the narrative fuel of the serial-killer-obsessed procedurals that dominate TV." Ben Walters attacked the film in '' Time Out'', writing " the real crime is the travesty writer-director David Ondaatje perpetrates on
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
".


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lodger, The 2000s thriller films 2009 films 2000s English-language films Films based on works by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes Films scored by John Frizzell (composer) American serial killer films Stage 6 Films films 2000s American films