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Audiences love a good mystery—the story of a tough cop (usually with a dark, hidden past and a heart of gold) investigating crime and mayhem on the shadowy city streets. But Out of Blue adds astrophysics to the usual murder and mystery for a mystically messy investigation.
Out of Blue stars Patricia Clarkson as Detective Mike Hoolihan, a troubled detective who’s called in to investigate the death of astrophysicist Jennifer Rockwell (Mamie Gummer). The daughter of prominent members of the community, Jennifer was also a rising star in her field, an expert in black holes. As Hoolihan digs into the facts of the case, she finds two questionable suspects. But even when the pieces start coming together, she can’t seem to let go of a feeling that there’s more here that just what’s on the surface.
The mix of metaphysical concepts and hardboiled whodunit certainly makes Out of Blue an ambitious project. Director Carol Morley takes the classic novel by Martin Amis and tries to make it something dark and atmospheric and suspenseful. But, in the end, what it turns out to be is strange and melodramatic and more than a little unhinged.
From the opening scene, in which Rockwell gives an awkwardly breathy speech to students about how “we are all stardust,” the film feels silly and overdone. The characters are all just a little bit strange, and the story is loaded with surprises that aren’t actually surprising. Hoolihan has strange visions that don’t seem to bother anyone, and her insistence on continuing to investigate the case long after it’s been closed earns her little more than a slightly stern warning from her superior. As many fictional detectives, she plays by her own set of rules, jumping on hunches and assumptions—even if they don’t make a whole lot of sense. And she does it in the most exaggerated ways.
Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t judge a film by its cast, either. Out of Blue may be loaded with gifted actors—from Clarkson to Jacki Weaver to James Caan—but they just can’t do anything about the messy writing and over-the-top direction of this spacey mystery.
Somewhere in here, there’s an intriguing story, but Out of Blue gives away too much and makes it all feel more than a little bit cheesy. So if you’re in the mood for a clever procedural, it’s probably best to stick with your favorite TV detective series.
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