SLEEPING DOGS

Australia/US, 2024, 110 minutes, Colour.

Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Marton Csokas, Tommy Flanagan, Thomas M.Wright, Harry Greenwood, Pacharo Mzembe, Lynn Gilmartin.

Directed by Adam Cooper.

The metaphor of the title indicates that sometimes it may be better to leave past events as they are because we do not know what revelations will appear if the past is stirred. And that happens here -in an interesting and evocative way.

This is a very American story, the police, death row and executions, investigating cold cases, psychology and experimentation, drugs to suppress PTSD memories, experiments to reactivate memory. However, Sleeping Dogs was, in fact, made in Australia, with a mainly Australian cast with New Zealand’s Marton Csokas, Karen Gillan and Tommy Flanagan from Scotland – no American in the cast. (Of interest, Harry Greenwood is the son of Hugo Weaving; Thomas M. Wright was a writer-director of the award-winning drama, The Stranger, 2022).

But it stars Russell Crowe in a very interesting performance as a former police officer of 20 years, Roy Freeman, involved in a drink-driving accident, damage to his skull and brain, now undergoing a particular therapy to try to reactivate his memory, to redirect the neural paths of his brain. We see him at home, notes everywhere around his apartment indicating how he is to act, his name, preparing a meal… We see him undergoing his treatment and moments when memory begins to return.

However, the key to the drama is a prisoner coming to appeal to Roy to reopen his case because he is about to be executed and professes his innocence, Roy thinking that this was an expected ploy. However, something alerts him and he begins to investigate.

Which, clearly, is the point where a reviewer has to go no further with the narrative. Rather, there can be a whetting of the audience appetite to indicate who the central characters are. Marton Csokas’s appears as Dr Wieder, a very talented psychologist who is working on the program for suppressing PTSD memories. Karen Gillan is his equally talented associate in the research. There is the enigmatic writer, played by Harry Greenwood. At his home, there is an Iraq war veteran, played by Thomas M. Wright, doing repair jobs.

Tommy Flanagan plays Roy’s former partner approached by Roy to help him pursue the case. And the case is the murder of Dr Wieder in his home – and, all of the above characters, involved each in their own way.

So, a different kind of police investigation, unearthing different clues, some plot twists, and, depending on how many films one has seen, an expected or unexpected ending!

1. The metaphor of the title, leaving past events lie unless, when roused, there is greater trouble?
2. An American setting, the police and investigations, psychology and medicine, prison, death penalty?
3. But the film made in Australia, locations for the US, the cast, Australian, New Zealand, Scotland? No American cast?
4. The atmosphere of the American city, homes and apartments, the streets, police precincts, universities, lecture rooms, laboratories? The musical score?
5. The situation, Roy Freeman, a Russell Crowe performance, his situation, the drunk driving accident, his injuries, skull and to the brain, his undergoing experimental therapy, to retrain the neural paths, to regain memory? Seeing him in his apartment, all the notes around the room to indicate who he was, meals, refrigerator, domestic details?
6. The visit of the condemned criminal, Roy not remembering him, the man about to die on death row, his plea for Roy to help him, proclaiming his innocence, that there was someone in the house when he went to confront Dr Wieder who had testified against him? Roy not believing him, thinking it was a usual plea to prevent his execution?
7. The structure of the film, the action in the present, Roy and his investigations, his continued treatment, beginning to remember some details, his pursuit of the case, looking at the records, getting the documents on the case? The signature of Jimmy Remis?
8. His going to see Jimmy again, Jimmy off the force, in decline, the death of his wife, the memories of the case, his reluctant agreement to help Roy?
9. The filling of the background of Dr Wieder, his experiments to help people six our past memories (and the contrast with Roy’s treatment to recover memories)? His work with the Laura, her academic collaboration, the relationship? Dr Wieder and his personality? His helping Wayne Devereaux, his background in Iraq, PTSD, working for Dr Wieder?
10. The film following through on the characters connected with Dr Wieder, Laura and her disappearance, Roy finding her again, memories of having met her in the past, the new identity, her book, the reviews, the issue of the credit for the work with Dr Wieder, the flashback to her visiting the authorities after his death and claiming authorship, and Roy later visiting the authority and interviewing her and getting her perspective?
11. Wayne Devereaux and his disappearance, finding him again, his explanations, the phone call, in the truck, trying to knock down Roy, Roy and his gun, shooting, the identification of Devereaux, the mystery of his attempt to kill Roy, Roy and the police interviews?
12. Laura as Elizabeth, her meeting with Roy, taunting him, the gradual revelations about her, her seeming to be a suspect, the plausibility, yet her alibi, her being the house, leaving?
13. Mystery of Richard Finn, his connection with Dr Wieder, the encounter with Laura, her advance, the relationship, tensions, her disappearance, we are going to see Richard’s widow, the impact of his death? The connections? Roy at the funeral, his brother, the manuscript, the dramatising of the manuscript, his story, especially about Laura and Dr Wieder, Roy giving it to Laura, her denying its truth? Richard and his ambitions as a storyteller, creating the story and memories of a life? (Contrasting with Dr Wieder of liberating, Roy’s therapist resurrecting?)
14. The visualising of the murder suspect, drugged, hiding, being present at the death?
15. The complications with Jimmy, his being the only signature on the documents whereas Roy always co-signed, gradual revelations about Jimmy, the contact with Laura, the money issues, her confronting Dr Wieder?
16. The gradual revelation of why Roy did not sign the documents, Jimmy’s role and support, but Roy in his seeking out, turning against Jimmy? Jim’s death? Laura?
17. The memory coming back, this discovery of himself, the issue of his wife at the diner, her death, the photo with his wife and the smashed glass over her face, his removing it, the final truth and the brutal visualisation of the murder? And the meaning of the title?