The Lodger (2009)

Director:

David Ondaatje

Writers (WGA):

David Ondaatje (screenplay)
Marie Belloc Lowndes (book)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Everyone Is Suspect

Plot:

A couple rents out a room to a mysterious young man, who may or may not be guilty of a series of grisly neighborhood murders.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Lodger | Serial Killer | Housewife | Hooker

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Alfred Molina	...	Chandler Manning
Hope Davis	...	Ellen Bunting
Shane West	...	Street Wilkenson
Donal Logue	...	Bunting
Philip Baker Hall	...	Captain Smith
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Amanda
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Dr. Jessica Westmin
Simon Baker	...	Malcolm
François Chau	...	Sam (as Francois Chau)
Mel Harris	...	Margaret
Michael O'Hagan	...	Bruce Lester
Roy Werner	...	Dr. Stevens
Ernie Grunwald	...	Gregor
Virginia Williams	...	Rachel Madison
David Storrs	...	Warehouse Attendant
Bert Rosario	...	Juan Dantierro
Daphne Ashbrook	...	Pretty Woman
Paul Keith	...	Elderly Man
Michael Albala	...	Forensic Expert
J.P. Foster Jr.	...	Timmy (as JP Foster)
Gary Poux	...	Bill
Juting Tsang	...	Mary Ann Lee
Donnell C. Barret	...	Pimp (as Donnell Barrett)
Gary Dubin	...	Male TV Reporter
Nichole Lennstrom	...	Female TV Reporter
Lancer Dean Shull	...	Internal Affairs Officer
Stephen Steelman	...	Matt
John Hammil	...	Mayor Grimson
Kirk Fox	...	LAPD Officer #3
Janet Rotblatt	...	Elderly Nurse
Mocean Melvin	...	Young Detective
David Sullivan	...	LAPD Officer #1
Jamison Jones	...	LAPD Officer #2
Jasmine Lobe	...	Street's Wife
Glen Douglas	...	Policeman
Michael Rubenstone	...	Paramedic
Jennifer Webb	...	Young Woman
Krista Ayne	...	First Slender Woman
Tarajia Morrell	...	Second Slender Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tia Barr	...	Annie Chapman
Michael Agostini	...	Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)
Gerry Carbajal	...	L.A. County Sheriff Deputy (uncredited)
Jillian Difusco	...	Sally Harrison (uncredited)
Paul Joyner	...	Detective Rogers (uncredited)
Joseph Stephens Jr.	...	Paramedic (uncredited)

Directed by
David Ondaatje

Writing credits (WGA)
David Ondaatje		(screenplay)
Marie Belloc Lowndes		(book)

Produced by
Allison Keir	....	assistant producer
Michael Mailer	....	producer
David Ondaatje	....	producer
Scott Putman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Frizzell		(music by)

Cinematography by
David A. Armstrong		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Flicker

Casting by
Dean E. Fronk
Donald Paul Pemrick

Production Design by
Franco-Giacomo Carbone

Art Direction by
Christine Reins

Costume Design by
Franco-Giacomo Carbone

Makeup Department
Nikki Carbonetta	....	key makeup artist (as Nikki Carbonetta-Aguirre)
Steve Costanza	....	makeup department head
Kristina Frisch	....	key makeup artist
Mary Howd	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Scott Putman	....	unit production manager
Bill Wohlken	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anya Adams	....	first assistant director
Dennis Burrell	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Gary Dent	....	set dresser
Stephen Foley	....	set dresser
Jonathan Gesinski	....	storyboard artist
Lisa Goldsmith	....	buyer
Brandi Hugo	....	art department coordinator
Kent H. Johnson	....	property master
Nikolai Loveikis	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Todd Beckett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Bjelic	....	sound designer
Jamie Gould	....	sound re-recording mixer
Aaron Grice	....	boom operator
Kevin Howard	....	sound effects editor
Tim Song Jones	....	utility sound
Rudy Michael	....	foley mixer
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Geoff Raffan	....	dialogue editor
James Robb	....	assistant sound editor
Robert Sharman	....	sound mixer
John Douglas Smith	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Woroniuk	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marilee Yorston	....	foley artist
Rob Hutchins	....	temp dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Giuliano Fiumani	....	special effects coordinator
Philip Henderson	....	special effects water truck driver
Rick Peterson	....	special effects assistant
Ryan John Thuotte	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Stefan Bredereck	....	main title design & animation: EdenFX
Patrick Clancey	....	digital opticals
Dan Curry	....	title designer
Dan Curry	....	visual effects supervisor
Gregory D. Liegey	....	visual effects supervisor
Philippe Majdalani	....	digital intermediate assistant producer
Geoffrey Mark	....	visual effects artist (credits sequence)
Sean Mattini	....	digital colorist assistant
David Van Dyke	....	visual effects producer: CIS Hollywood

Stunts
Oliver Keller	....	stunt coordinator
Jim Vickers	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Hawke Clothier	....	grip
Dessie Coale	....	lighting technician
Kathryn Comkowycz	....	assistant camera: second unit
Halsey D. Corbin	....	electrician (as Halsey D. 'Pigpen' Corbin)
Christopher Ferguson	....	lighting technician
Bill Fernandez	....	gaffer: second unit
Bill Fernandez	....	lighting technician
Greg Flores	....	key grip
Mike Gioulakis	....	electrician
Jimmy Hammond	....	assistant camera
Josh Harrison	....	Steadicam operator
Josh Harrison	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Keith Mentze	....	best boy grip
Louis Normandin	....	film loader
Miguel Pask	....	second assistant camera
Tom Petrushevich	....	grip
Enrique Rico	....	grip
Armando Salas	....	gaffer
Charles Schner	....	director of photography: second unit
Gregg Thompson	....	grip
Santiago Yniguez	....	bodymount technician

Casting Department
Eddie Jaszek	....	casting assistant
Karen Wood	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jacqueline Kahn	....	costumer
Unchin Lee	....	set costumer
Jill Machlis	....	set costumer
Mustapha Mimis	....	set costumer
Lizz Wolf	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Rick J. Brown	....	co-colorist (as Rick Brown)
Ron Rauch	....	first assistant editor
Stephen H. Sloan	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Michael Dobbins	....	music department (as Michael J Dobbins)
Peter Fuchs	....	scoring mixer
Vladimir Martinka	....	music librarian
Thomas Parisch	....	orchestrator
Frederik Wiedmann	....	technical score engineer
Laurent Ziliani	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Corey Askins	....	transportation coordinator
Al Burton	....	transportation captain
Philip Henderson	....	watertruck driver
Ted Joneson	....	driver
Eli Lozano	....	driver: honeywagon
Kim Magruder	....	driver generator operator
Kelly Murphy	....	driver
Marilyn Shannon	....	driver: grip truck

Other crew
James M. Arnold	....	lead payroll accountant
Mark Asaro	....	production coordinator
Patrick Chisholm	....	key assistant location manager
Elisa Forni	....	script supervisor
Matthew Fortino	....	set production assistant
Kurt Greufe	....	production accountant
Jeff Hunt	....	production assistant
Paul Joyner	....	photo double: Simon Baker
Michael Barbanell Landres	....	production legal services (as Michael B. Landres)
Jennifer Ray	....	assistant production office coordinator
Reynaldo Rodriguez	....	production assistant
Will Ruvalcaba	....	location scout
Timothy Thompson	....	set production assistant
David E. Van Houten	....	publicist

Thanks
Cyril Drabinsky	....	special thanks
Scott Edel	....	special thanks
John Hakala	....	special thanks
Kevin Hyman	....	special thanks
Joe Matza	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Ondaatje	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Merchant Pacific Corporation
• Michael Mailer Films

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2009) (worldwide) (all media)
• Stage 6 Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing Canada (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Water In Motion
• Water In Motion (rain effects)

Other Companies

• Deluxe Post-Production  post-production facilities
• Doggicam Systems  BodyMount provided by
• DoggieCam Systems  BodyMount provided by
• Executive Assurance  security service
• Film Art  artwork
• Magic Film and Video Works  telecine dailies
• Pivotal Post  Avid Editing Equipment Provided By

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for violent content, language and brief nudity

Runtime:

Argentina:96 min (DVD version) | USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

1420 N. Alta Vista Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Merchant Pacific Corporation

Goofs:

Factual errors: Annie Chapman was Jack the Ripper's second victim, not fourth.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Street Wilkenson:Detective.
Chandler Manning:Wilkenson, right?

Movie Connections:

References The Matrix (1999)

Soundtrack:

Di Notte

The best "lodger" mystery since Wallace & Gromit and The Wrong Trousers!

I have an undying love of true crime movies. There is something automatically fascinating about a disturbing story of true crime when there is the added effect that it is at least loosely based on real events. It's one of the most important things that makes me love movies like Zodiac or In Cold Blood or Dog Day Afternoon or even Silence of the Lambs, even though the real life element of that one is, ah, a little less specific. The Lodger, as you know, was Alfred Hitchcock's first major film, made in 1927, well before sound. The new Lodger has a tough time justifying itself, but it is not entirely without effect.

The movie tells the story of a mysterious recurrence of Jack-the-Ripper-style murders, although it takes the crimes out of the London fog and replaces it on the wet streets of Los Angeles. A series of brutal prostitute murders have been determined to be exact replicas of very specific Ripper murders, even positioning the bodies the same places and making similar efforts in geography. Complicating matters is the fact that a man has already been jailed and executed for the murders, which unfortunately start happening again.

Meanwhile, an unhappy housewife across town is routinely abandoned by her deadbeat husband, who repeatedly tells her basically to take her medication and leave him alone, and by the way, why can't she make herself useful and find a lodger for that old shed in the backyard. Money doesn't grow on trees, woman.

She does find a lodger, one who acts sufficiently mysterious and suspicious, and for a while the movie turns into your standard murder mystery thriller, although I was glad to see the addition in the third act of the clouding issue of an unstable mind. It's a story-telling technique that is very easy to screw up, but when it's used right it can add a whole different experience to an otherwise straight-forward and uninteresting story.

It is not used here as well as I've seen it used before (at least in originality), but it's true that it adds a much-needed extra layer to an otherwise insufficient story. Unfortunately, because the rest of the movie is a murder mystery the style of which is far too familiar by now, the instability idea seems like an effort to add something to an otherwise weak movie, and it's just not enough to make the movie at all memorable. In fact, some moviegoers will find it outwardly laughable.

Alfred Molina plays a detective who is striving to solve the case, although I would expect an actor of his caliber to be spending his time on better movies than this. Unfortunately, despite his performance and a number of other mildly impressive roles, the movie is also peppered with horrible acting and ridiculously badly written characters.

The lodger himself, first of all, is of the variety that acts extremely suspicious in ways that could only possibly happen if he were really the killer. When the wife accidentally discovers him burning clothing in the barbecue, he calmly explains that he was just trying to dry them. In a good mystery, perfectly normal behavior is made to be suspicious by the context of other actions, the music, the performances, etc.

Who the hell dries pants on a barbecue?

There is also the issue of a psychologist who analyzes the police's evidence about the mysterious killer, and offers an explanation that is little more than a lot of wordy nonsense that sounds like it was thrown together by a Psychology undergrad at UCLA with no other purpose than to sound impressive. Sadly, it doesn't. The ex-wife of Molina's character is also a mental case herself who, for reasons that I won't reveal, is unable to stand the sight of her husband. When she does at one point in the film, she descends into a hysterical fit of screaming which, had it gone on for about another three seconds, would have been enough for me to give up and fling the DVD out the window.

But the movie's biggest problem is that it comes off as a standard mystery, the first half of which is designed to show why everyone is a suspect and the second half designed to deliver a thrilling finale that, when it comes, just isn't all that thrilling. The murder investigation is full of movie-miracles (like a footprint which is leaked to the press and printed "actual size" on the front page of the newspaper) but the real letdown doesn't come until the final scene, lifted directly out of Psycho and full of psychobabble nonsense. And the psychologist's analysis, believe it or not, takes place before the actual arrest. Fastest mental analysis ever!! But it's not so much that the psychological explanation doesn't make sense as much as the fact that the reasons given may send your palm(s) flying rapidly to your forehead. So be advised…