Spenser Confidential

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, Alan Arkin, Iliza Shlesinger, Michael Gaston, Bokeem Woodbine, Marc Maron, James DuMont, Post Malone
Directed by: Peter Berg
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Comedy
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A disgraced former cop (Mark Wahlberg) and his roommate (Winston Duke) team up to root out police corruption in Boston.

Review:

Tim: I know a lot of people were upset that Spenser Confidential doesn't adhere to the source material, which are a series of books, I believe. I never understood that whole Spenser world, I haven't read the books and I don't understand that world of television and TV movie adaptations. So, I went into this with no expectations. Unfortunately, I'm upset for a different reason- because this is simply a bad movie. Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have teamed up numerous times already and the results have been impressive. I don't know how to account for this failure. Perhaps they were chasing a paycheck verses creating something effective? Whatever the cause, this is a forgettable movie that marks another failed action film for Netflix.

The movie was filmed in Boston, where I live, so it was great seeing so many shots of the city. That was one of the highlights of the film, which is sad when you think about it. The story felt completely generic. Murdered cops, dirty cops, a bunch of other things happen. Truly, none of it matters that much. There's no real plot twists. The movie offers nothing we haven't seen a hundred times before, and executed far better than this. The characters were one-dimensional and have almost nothing interesting to say. This is that low-level kind of film where it feels like it's following a recipe, believing that close is good enough. That translates into a completely forgettable movie that doesn't deserve our time. What is so frustrating to me is that Peter Berg is a talented director. He makes really good movies. Out of the now 10 movies I've seen him direct, this is the second worst, only to Battleship, which he basically admitted he phoned in for a studio so he could finance a movie he really wanted to make. I have no idea why he'd make this movie for Netflix (besides money), but his heart wasn't in it.

As far as the cast, I feel mixed emotions. You have to give Mark Wahlberg credit- he shouldn't be a movie star, but he is. He works damn hard at every role and while it's all basically the same, him playing himself, he's fairly enjoyable. It felt like he showed up here and just did the exact same thing he always does. He needed a better script and better direction, but I don't fault him too much for just giving us more of the same. I was excited to see Winston Duke here, but the script didn't do him any favors. Besides a few solid moments, he feels continuously underutilized. This is Wahlberg's movie and Duke is just along for the ride. This would have been a better movie had it been more interested in Duke's character. Alan Arkin is a legend and he always gives good performances. He shows up here and does his thing, I don't fault him for it, as he's played this small supporting role in many other films. It was interesting to see Iliza Shlesinger here. She's not a great actress and her performance is way too over-the-top, but she did embody that tough Boston spirit. Bokeem Woodbine was solid, although his character was obvious and predictable. I can't say I loved seeing Post Malone here, but he wasn't terrible. As a whole, you have some solid actors who aren't helped by the script, giving this cast a feeling that it's less than the sum of its parts.

There's so many movie choices out there, especially if you're looking for an action/comedy crime film. Spenser Confidential adds nothing to that genre. It's a redundant piece of blase film-making. Even though it has a few redeeming qualities, it's a movie I could have skipped.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mile 22, Lone Survivor