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List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 27569
Released: February 10, 2009 |
| Our Price: $1.99 |
| Used Price: $1.02 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Hope Davis (About Schmidt), Shane West (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and Simon Baker (TV's The Mentalist) star in this terrifying thriller. The Lodger follows a seasoned detective on the trail of a ruthless killer intent on slaughtering prostitutes along West Hollywood's Sunset Strip. It appears that the murderer's grisly methods are identical to that of London's infamous 19th century psychopath Jack the Ripper - a relentless serial killer who was never caught by police. To make matters worse, the detective soon notices the parallels between the crimes committed by the West Hollywood stalker and those of a serial murderer incarcerated years ago. Could the wrong man be behind bars? Also starring Rachael Leigh Cook (Nancy Drew).
Description of The Lodger (2009):
Jack’s back, more or less, in The Lodger, a cleverly-plotted thriller-cum-horror story sporting a good cast and a nicely ominous vibe throughout. When Los Angeles Detective Chandler Manning (Alfred Molina) arrives at the scene of a prostitute’s grisly murder, the clues look awfully familiar. Seven years earlier, Manning had helped send to Death Row a killer whose M.O. was identical not only to this one, but also to that of the notorious Jack the Ripper, who terrorized 19th-century London but was never identified, let alone caught. Is this new monster, who goes on to kill several more defenseless hookers, a copycat? Or could it mean that the wrong man paid the ultimate price for the earlier crimes? Meanwhile, Joe and Ellen Bunting (Donal Logue and Hope Davis) rent out a room to a "writer" named Malcolm (Simon Baker), whose weird habits make him an obvious suspect. But there are several others as well, including Joe, who works as a security guard while Ellen nurses her active and rather twisted imagination, and even Det. Manning, a loose cannon type who may be a Jack the Ripper authority but whose life is a mess, what with an institutionalized wife and a daughter who blames him for her mother’s affliction. Adapted from a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, this tale was turned into a silent film by Alfred Hitchcock way back in 1927 and has been remade several times since. No one will confuse David Ondaatje, who wrote and directed this version, with Hitchcock, and those familiar with the genre will have little trouble predicting how it all turns out. Nonetheless, The Lodger is a good ride, guilty pleasure or not. --Sam Graham
The Lodger (2009) Reviews:
Interesting movie but a little offcenter 
2009-10-23 - I bought this as I am a Simon Baker fan and love who dunnits. Although named The Lodger, it is about a woman slipping into darkness and her relationships with the people around her, including the mysterious stranger who arrives to rent a guest room in back of the house. The plot is suspenseful and intriguing - one doesn't have a clue who the killer is until the last frame of the movie - literally. I wish a little more time had been spent on the developing relationship between the Lodger and Landlord; it would have increased my interest and rounded out characters a bit more.
I found it distracting in the "rain" sequences to see pouring rain with not one drop falling in the rain puddles on the sidewalk just in front of The Lodger as he finds the house or the rainbows of color in the incredibly bright background as the door is opened to see the first glimpse of The Lodger. Just annoying details that could have been easily rectified with a few sprinkles of better placed water.
I have also read books on Jack the Ripper. Anyone who knows much of the MO of the Ripper knows facts that were lost on the scriptwriters. Again, annoying little details that weren't protrayed accurately in the film and detracted from my viewing of the movie. I am not a detail person but I think these problems could have been solved with a little time spent in simple research.
Overall though, this was an interesting film that left one wondering until the very last frame (literally). Good job!
"Everyone is Suspect"...
2009-07-04 - "The Lodger", orginally a novel about the identity of Jack the Ripper, the 19th century serial killer who terorized London prostitutes and was never caught, has been done as a play and now several times as a movie. This latest version features a strong cast in a darkly atmospheric thriller heavy on Ripperology and loaded with suspects.
The movie opens on a rainy night in West Hollywood. A senior detective is summoned to the scene of the horrifying murder of a prostitute. As he and his rookie partner investigate this crime and a second similar murder, the parallels with the crimes of an earlier serial killer, just executed, and with the Jack the Ripper case become painfully apparent.
Elsewhere in West Hollywood, a financially strapped couple rent a room to a mysterious young man who pays cash in advance and insists on complete privacy. Ellen, the wife, interacts with the lodger. She may be mentally disturbed and we are never quite certain whether the portions of the movie we experience through her eyes are real or the product of her troubled imagination.
As the movie spins rapidly to its climax, the audience is presented with a confusing array of clues that cleverly keep all the potential suspects in play to the peneultimate scene. The plot is further muddied by the possibility that one or more of the suspects may have been set up by the real killer. The senior detective (Alfred Molina) is troubled by family issues and obcessed with the Ripper murders. The landlords Joe and Ellen Bunting (Donal Logue and a superbly haunting Hope Davis) cannot entirely account for their whereabouts. The mysterious lodger (an enigmatic, dark-haired Simon Baker) is almost too obvious a suspect. Even the rookie partner (Shane West) is not what he claims to be.
For such a promising premise and an excellent cast, the movie never quite hits its stride as a thriller. The drab production values seem more suited to a TV movie, while a polemic about capital punishment and an internal investigation into the senior detective seem awkward and stagey. Nevertheless, "The Lodger" largely succeeds as suspense and is highly recommended as worthwile entertainment for its brief (95 minutes) running time.
The Lodger (2009) 
2009-05-06 - I am a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock's work, so I was happy to see there was a remake of this movie. Although I enjoy the old original Black & White movie, I found this updated color version quite good. I was mystified as to who the killer was until the very end. I didn't see this one coming. The help of a good cast, directing, sets, and music (reminded me of previous Hitchcock themes) made it all come together in a well rounded mystery. Good quality DVD with a few extras and decent replayability. If you enjoyed this, catch The Bedroom Window and Body Double (Widescreen Special Edition) which are reminescent of Hitchcocks style.
CA Luster
Suspenseful 
2009-04-11 - Very Suspenseful! Love Simon Baker in this. Hope Davis plays a good crazy landlady. Would have liked to see more of these two together. Lots of Alfred Hitchcock type references. I would highly recommend this movie to any Alfred Hitchcock fan.
Great film with nods to Hitchcock
2009-03-15 - I was a little surprised by the lukewarm reception to The Lodger. It is so far above any modern-day Ripper film, it definitely deserves a look.
I haven't seen the 1940s film, but I have seen - many times - the Hitchcock 1926 silent film. I felt the echoes of it throughout the remake. As a fan of Hitchcock, I found it pretty cool that the directors didn't muck it up like so many do when they try to contrive Hitchcock-like scenes.
Simon Baker is perfectly cast as The Lodger. He looks a bit younger with dark hair and has this secretive way about him that lends mystery to the character.
Frankly, I didn't pay much attention to the shenanigans of the PD, which seemed to be a turn off for other viewers, according to reviews here. Let's face it: This is a PR nightmare for the department, so someone needs to hang for it - and that just happens to be Alfred Molina's character. It works well into this film and casts a glare of suspicion on officers who may or may not be the killer.
Overall, The Lodger remake keeps you slightly off-balance while trying to guess the whodunit. Most, I think, won't know who it is until the very last frame.
