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Gumshoe

Play trailer Poster for Gumshoe PG 1972 1h 28m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Eddie Ginley (Albert Finney) works at a bingo hall in Liverpool, England, but dreams of becoming a stylish private investigator like those he has read about and seen in films. After finally placing an advertisement in a local newspaper announcing his detective services, he receives a mysterious offer. Even though Ginley is inexperienced and clueless at certain aspects of investigating, he comes to realize that he is entangled in a serious case involving drugs, murder and even his own family.
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Gumshoe

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Jan Dawson Sight & Sound It's an extraordinarily funny film, funny in a way that is neither patronising of its audience's intelligence nor complacent about its own. Feb 11, 2020 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Gumshoe is an affectionately nostalgic and amusing tribute to the movie-fiction private-eye genre of yesteryear. Feb 23, 2012 Full Review Madeleine Harmsworth Sunday Mirror (UK) Gumshoe, a poor parody of a Humphrey Bogart-type gangster movie, has none of the dash of "oldies." May 16, 2023 Full Review Michael Billington Birmingham Post I found Gumshoe, in fact, a totally captivating film. It affectionately parodies the clipped, hammerblow dialogue of the best 'Forties movies while at the same time sustaining one's interest in a typically convoluted piece of Chandleresque plotting. May 16, 2023 Full Review John Hofsess Maclean's Magazine Gumshoe is a perfect sort of summer film - light as a Panama hat, cool as a frosted daiquiri. Jan 30, 2020 Full Review Dick Lochte Los Angeles Free Press An amusing private eye spoof. Dec 31, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jack S So-so send-up of American private-eye films is perhaps a little too whimsically inclined. The dialogue is pretty good and the humor works some of the time (for example, it's a fun idea that Finney is an aspiring stand-up comedian when not on the case), but although the cast/crew try hard to make it all work, it doesn't always succeed. Finney is quite good—I only wish it were a more compelling criminal case that he was investigating! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/17/24 Full Review nick s The protagonist mimicking a film noir detective was an interesting quirk, but it was also a bit distracting in the serious moments. The camera work was a little claustrophobic... perhaps they were trying to create a studio feel? All up I started to find the movie a bit of a slog. A few good lines in there though. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/24 Full Review Audience Member The Atlantis Bookshop is an esoteric bookshop that's been the center of London's occult scene since it opened in 1921. It's where the "Father of Wicca" Gerald Gardner attended meetings of The Order of the Hidden Masters and the shop even published his first book. It continues to be a nexus point for magic users and is featured prominently in Gumshoe, a movie that has some magic of its own as Eddie Ginley (Albert Finney) dreams of escaping his bingo hall reality and becoming a detective like in the books he reads. When he places an ad for his detective services as a birthday joke, he discovers himself in the middle of an actual case that may involve his family. Featuring the first music score for a film by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gumshoe‘s drug scenes kept it from being released on video until 2009. It was the debut film of director Stephen Frears (The Grifters, Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity) and was written by Neville Smith, who also plays Arthur in this movie. There was a big revival of hard boiled detective films and film noir at the start of the 70s and this film does a great job of showing how one man can become lost in the dream of what it would be like to live in their world. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Stephen Frears feature debut is a real humdinger as Bingo caller comedian Albert Finney lives in a world of private eyes when he suddenly becomes involved in a real case. Lovely pastiche of classic film noir with Finney excelling in the lead . Fears would work in TV until the 80s before going back to the big screen and as usual he delivers the goods showing again how underrated he is as a director. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/08/19 Full Review Audience Member Albert Finney is in his usual top form in Stephen Frears's devilishly comic directorial debut. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member albert finney channels his inner bogart in this crime drama. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Gumshoe

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Movie Info

Synopsis Eddie Ginley (Albert Finney) works at a bingo hall in Liverpool, England, but dreams of becoming a stylish private investigator like those he has read about and seen in films. After finally placing an advertisement in a local newspaper announcing his detective services, he receives a mysterious offer. Even though Ginley is inexperienced and clueless at certain aspects of investigating, he comes to realize that he is entangled in a serious case involving drugs, murder and even his own family.
Director
Stephen Frears
Producer
Michael Medwin
Screenwriter
Neville Smith
Production Co
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 28m
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