SPINNING MAN
Sweden/US, 2018, 100 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, Alexandra Shipp, Odeya Rush, Jamie Kennedy, Clark Gregg.
Directed by Simon Kaijser.
Guy Pearce plays a university professor, specialising in philosophy of language, a past womaniser who comes under suspicion for the death of a University student. His nemesis is a detective, former lawyer, played by Pierce Brosnan. There are various suspicions, cat and mouse behaviour…
Minnie Driver plays the Professor’s wife, conscious of his womanising in the past and their having to leave the city and find a new post, staying in her marriage for the sake of children. Alexandra Shipp plays a flirtatious young student from the past, Odeya Rush the student who died.
In many ways, this is an intellectual thriller with scenes of classes and students appreciating the stimulating ideas of the professor. There are also language and philosophy discussions with the detective.
Many have found the conclusion of the film something of a letdown, the fact that the professor could have murdered someone, but that, in fact, she had died in an accident.
Which means then that this is a psychological thriller, the psyches of the main protagonists, rather than a murder mystery.
1. Title? With reference to Evan, his life, behaviour, his philosophical speculations? Thriller, Detective story?
2. The settings, the university town, home, the campus, lecture rooms? Police precincts? The countryside, the woods, the river and lakes? The musical score?
3. The opening, sense of mystery, the detective, his office, the presence of the lecturer? Returning to that sequence later?
4. Evan Birch, a Guy Pearce performance, age, lecturing at the University, philosophy and language, the details of lectures, intellectual discussion with the detective? At home, his relationship with his wife, the happy atmosphere, children and family? Propriety on the surface, his affairs with students, the family having to move five years earlier, his wife and her acceptance, brittle acceptance? His affairs, the students, their hold over him, his behaviour, the image of the coin for AA participants?
5. Joyce, the countryside, Evan and his visit, seeing Joyce, meeting in the past, giving her a lift, the evidence in his car? Her friends, her death, the river? Accident? Suspicions? Murder?
6. Pierce Brosnan as the detective, personality, trained in law, skill detection, suspicions of Birch, interrogations and discussions, with Evan’s wife? The continued pursuit, the evidence, philosophical to and fro? His pursuit of the case?
7. Evan’s wife, the past, love, having to leave the town, her being forgiving, not forgiving? The years passing, the family, together? The pressure of the investigation, the interrogations? Her own suspicions? Too much pressure?
8. Anna, the past with Evan, coming to his office, trying to pick up the relationship? The other women?
9. The university authorities, Evan’s lawyer, the advice, suspension?
10. The buildup to the solution, the irony that the death was an accident? The evidence and its being mistaken? The effect on the detective doing his work? The effect on Evan and his future?
