A duo of playwrights works on their next play, discussing changes and developments for their characters, and the play itself comes to life for the viewers as they write it.
Written by Gordon Bressack and directed by James Cullen Bressack, this somewhat meta, definitely self-aware, and a bit self-referential film is a fun watch that clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously and is willing to poke fun at the writing, and by extension the filmmaking, process. The characters evolve in front of the viewers’ eyes here and they change throughout the film which works great for the story at hand and makes it what it is really. It’s a good take on the creative process and how things change as the writing of a film or play goes along, editing, and whatnot. This film shows how to write such a story and how to bring it to the screen successfully, showing that the write amount of humor and restraint in some scenes will get you far, but that you can also go a bit overboard at times and it still works because, hey they are working out the story so nonsense might just happen.
The cast here is fun to watch and clearly are ready to go with the flow and give the performance the film requires, even if that performance changes a few times along the way. The playwrights are the two characters that anchor the story, not really changing themselves, and actors Maurice LaMarche as George and Charles M. Howell IV as Charlie really sell their characters and make their arguments and interactions look like two very long-term friends and co-writers trying to make this play into the best play it can be. The majority of the rest of the cast is within the play within the film and everyone does great work. This is one of those ensemble pieces where the material is a bit over-the-top at times, but here it works quite well giving the right mood and the right feel for both the characters and the story.
Another great aspect here is the cinematography by Michael Moghaddam, the film has clearly 2 looks for the playwrights and for the people in the play. The idea of having the creators in black and white for most of the film and the characters they are creating in color gives them distinct settings, separating both parts of the story clearly. At least at first. The film has a lot going on here and it makes sense, but no need to spoil things any further.
Murder, Anyone? Is a fun comedy with characters that feel all over the place at times but given that it’s about the creative process (and a few more things), it makes complete sense within its confines. The film boasts fun performances, some funny scenes, some randomness, and a whole lot of heart. It’s one of those films that is usually stumbled upon and becomes beloved. In this case, do yourself a favor and go look for it.