Being the smartest person in the room doesn’t always help. It truly hinders when trying to tell a story where you have to make things palatable for the masses trying to entertain while at the same time discussing topics that perhaps the majority of them have no interest in. This becomes the biggest problem with THE OXFORD MURDERS.
The movie tells the story of Martin (Elijah Wood), a young man who desperately wants to study philosophy with the predominate author in the field, Arthur Seldom (John Hurt), now at Oxford. The problem is getting to even speak with Seldom let alone have him be mentor for your grad thesis.
But Martin has an in by staying at the home of a woman named Mrs. Eagleton (Anna Massey) who once was friends with Seldom and her daughter Beth (Julie Cox). The love/hate relationship between the two makes Martin a tad uncomfortable but he gets by, listening to his landlady’s stories and trying to know more about Seldom.
At a conference where Seldom is discussing his views on philosophy, Martin raises a question which follows with Seldom putting him in his place. Afterwards both turn up at the residence of Mrs. Eagleton, Martin going home and Seldom to pay her a visit after receiving a note instructing him to go there. What they find is the landlady/friend murdered.
Thus begins a teaming of the two as they attempt to use their own methods of discussing philosophy and the meaning of life to determine who the murderer is. Unfortunately for much of the movie the viewer sympathizes more with the chief detective on the case Inspector Peterson (Jim Carter) than they do the philosophical duo. Listening to their wordplay does little to clarify the situation but instead confused more issues that either do or do not connect with the case at hand.
Along the way Martin falls for a young woman he meets on a squash court, Lorna (Leonor Watling). At first explaining his theories and computations to determine strategy for the game, the two meet for a weekly game but eventually become enamored of one another. It isn’t until later that Martin discovers that Lorna was once involved with Seldom.
Clues to the identity of the murderer continue to pop up, mostly in the form of notes that he leaves behind as he alters from a simple murder to a serial killer. Each note posts a figure that the discussions of philosophy used to determine what the next symbol will be which in turn will lead them to who is doing the deeds and where he will strike next. The problem is that we’re watching as two great minds discuss what would apparently be simple things they would understand in an attempt to explain things to us but at the same time explaining things that most of us won’t get.
So does that make this a bad movie? Not really. To begin with it is extremely well made with fantastic cinematography and acting that truly makes each and every character believable. And the base story itself, the murder that does indeed get solved by the end of the film is one that uses plot twists and skullduggery to make those seeking the truth go this way and that trying to follow each clue. Even the discussions of philosophy can become interesting at times, though they feel out of place when the whole idea of catching a serial killer is in question.
Perhaps the movie tries too much, combining these two elements (murder mystery and philosophy) to little effect for either one. A film like MY DINNER WITH ANDRE showed that two people sitting and having a discussion over dinner could make for entertainment. Here it just feels like we have to emotionally detached loners more interested in impressing one another than in actually discovering whodunit.
Its not that this movie doesn’t entertain at all, but it makes the viewer work far more than one would expect for a murder mystery and not in the form of solving the murder. Instead it makes you consider the thoughts and theories being discussed around the murder and then try to apply them to solving the case much as the pair attempt. At most it is enlightening, at worst a muddled mess.
Is it worth a rental? I’d have to say yes. It might not be one to add to your collection though. Perhaps the best things is seeing a murder mystery that relies little on gore and bloodshed and more on trying to locate the killer. That’s a rare commodity these days and should be encouraged as something nice to see in the genre these days.
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