V.I. Warshawski

Based on a series of books by Sara Peretsky, V.I. Warshawski follows Kathleen Turner’s title character as she reluctantly agrees to investigate the murder of a former football player – with complications arising as the daughter (Angela Goethals’ Kat) insists on accompanying Warshawski on her investigation. It’s immediately evident that Turner isn’t looking to deliver anything resembling a subtle performance here, as the actress offers up a scenery-chewing turn that vacillates wildly between somewhat charming and aggressively annoying. There is, as such, little doubt that one’s interest in V.I. Warshawski is almost entirely dependent on one’s tolerance for Turner’s work, as the film is otherwise devoid of elements designed to capture and sustain the viewer’s ongoing attention. The biggest issue here is the thoroughly by-the-numbers storyline, with scripters Edward Taylor, David Aaron Cohen, and Nick Thiel placing a heavy emphasis on the protagonist’s hopelessly generic investigation (ie there’s nothing here one hasn’t seen countless times on Law & Order). Filmmaker Jeff Kanew attempts to liven things up by including a handful of forgettable action sequences, yet such efforts serve only to perpetuate the movie’s decidedly desperate atmosphere. It is, in the end, not difficult to see why V.I. Warshawsky was unable to kickstart a series of movies involving the central character, with the film’s profound failure due almost equally to Turner’s nails-on-a-chalkboard performance and the narrative’s paint-by-numbers execution.

*1/2 out of ****