The Dutchman

Directed by Andre Gaines, The Dutchman follows André Holland’s Clay as he’s magically transported into the narrative of the title play – which details Clay’s efforts at extricating himself from the clutches of a menacing woman named Lula (Kate Mara). It’s silly subject matter that’s employed to mostly (and aggressively) unwatchable effect by Gaines, as the filmmaker, armed with his and Qasim Basir’s screenplay, delivers a woefully didactic endeavor that contains little in the way of compelling, attention-grabbing attributes – with the arms-length atmosphere compounded by Mara’s grating, one-note performance and a recurring emphasis on elements of a decidedly less-than-subtle nature. And while Holland offers up relatively strong work (that’s squandered by Gaines’ inept modus operandi), The Dutchman builds towards a hopelessly ineffective (and far-from-satisfying) second half that’s capped off with a laughably on-the-nose speech by Holland’s protagonist – which ultimately cements the picture’s place as a woefully lackluster adaptation of a play that’s evidently lost all relevance in the years since its inception.

* out of ****