The January Man

R

1988

1 hr. 37 min.

Crime

Drama

Comedy

List

28%

18 Reviews

Tomatometer

29%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Disgraced ex-policeman Nick Starkey (Kevin Kline) is brought back to the force by his brother Frank (Harvey Keitel) to help find a serial killer loose in New York City. Unconventional and misunderstood, Nick figures out the killer's patterns while wooing both his own sister-in-law, Christine (Susan Sarandon), and the mayor's daughter Bernadette (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The police arrest a suspect, but Nick thinks they have the wrong man, so he attempts to find the murderer on his own.

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John P

Good actors, good plot.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/22/24

Full Review

Hilary E

It was truly a terrible movie-- no chemistry and badly acted...which is surprising because it had a very good cast. Kevin Kline seemed batty and not endearing, Susan Sarandon just blah in this role, Rod Steiger seemed insane-- always screaming-- Alan Rickman served zero purpose except to give a gratuitous nude scene with a busty model, and same goes for Harvey Keitel-- he is pretty pointless in this disjointed movie. A big flat waste of time that barely even makes sense.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

Ola G

On New Year's Eve, Manhattan socialite Alison Hawkins returns home from the evening's festivities. As she feeds her fish before going to bed, she is strangled to death by an undetected intruder with a blue ribbon. It is the latest murder by a serial killer who has been terrorizing the city for eleven months. The mayor, frustrated with the lack of progress in the case, tells NYPD commissioner Frank Starkey (Harvey Keitel) to bring in his brother, former detective Nick Starkey (Kevin Kline), being the only man brilliant enough to catch the killer. This is a controversial assignment for Frank because Nick left the force in disgrace two years earlier. Frank talks Nick into returning, but only on the condition that he be able to cook dinner the next night for Frank's wife, Christine (Susan Sarandon), who is Nick's ex-girlfriend. After a press conference announcing Nick's reinstatement, Christine and Nick have dinner. Old wounds are opened, including mention of a canceled check which indicated that Frank was involved in the scandal that got Nick fired. After reporting for work, Nick takes a different office than the one he was assigned because the light was not to the liking of his friend Ed (Alan Rickman), a painter. After getting Captain Alcoa (Danny Aiello) to add Ed to the payroll as his assistant, Nick begins work on the case. His first lead is to speak to the mayor's daughter, Bernadette (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who was a friend of Alison. After Nick and Bernadette visit Alison's apartment, he decides to let her stay at his apartment because she is too frightened to return to her own. Nick realizes that the previous murders occurred on dates that are prime numbers, all of which are among the twelve prime numbers possible up to the number 31. Because 5 is the only one of the prime numbers that has not been used, Nick deduces that the next murder will take place the following night, on the fifth of the month.... The movie received negative reviews from critics. Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote: "The January Man is worth study as a film that fails to find its tone. It's all over the map. It wants to be zany but violent, satirical but slapstick, romantic but cynical. It wants some of its actors to rant and rave like amateur tragedians, and others to reach for subtle nuances. And it wants all of these things to happen at the same time." Rita Kempley of The Washington Post was even more harsh, writing, "Eliot called April the cruelest month, but then he hadn't seen The January Man. Billed as a mystery with romance and comedy, it is a damp sock of a movie that makes you wish for a leap year." (Via Wikipedia) Despite a strong cast containing of Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Harvey Keitel, Danny Aiello, Rod Steiger and Alan Rickman this so called crime comedy tries to fit in so many genres at the same time which creates a silly mess that is not entertaining nor exciting. "The January Man" is a failure.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

Full Review

Wirmer F

A very good movie that has stood the test of time. The acting, writing, and directing are superb. It's too bad movies like this aren't made anymore. The negative crowd reviewers should be ashamed of their ignorant stupidity.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/30/23

Full Review

Barbara H

We have seen this movie several times over many years. It is a good mystery, thriller with some romance and a touch of family drama. It has a lot going on and does have a lot of quirky humor which might be off-putting to some. Give it a chance.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/30/23

Full Review

Cowni F

On paper this looks like it should be fantastic. It's not.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/26/23

Full Review

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Pat O'Connor

Director

Kevin Kline

Nick Starkey

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Bernadette Flynn

Susan Sarandon

Christine Starkey

Harvey Keitel

Police Commissioner Frank Starkey

Danny Aiello

Captain Vincent Alcoa

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The January Man: Official Clip - Nick vs. Door

1:52

The January Man: Official Clip - Still Mad About You

2:13

The January Man: Official Clip - Prime Numbers

2:12

The January Man: Official Clip - Take Off Your Clothes

2:02

The January Man: Official Clip - Cheap Wine

1:20

The January Man: Official Clip - Don't Mess With Me

2:10

The January Man: Official Clip - Calendar Girl

2:13

The January Man: Official Clip - Nick on Ice

1:49

The January Man: Official Clip - I Loved an Idea

2:13

The January Man: Official Clip - How Am I Doing?

1:37

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

It wants to be zany but violent, satirical but slapstick, romantic but cynical. It wants some of its actors to rant and rave like amateur tragedians, and others to reach for subtle nuances. And it wants all of these things to happen at the same time.

Rated: 1/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a seriously (and often impressively) oddball, unpredictable piece of work...

Rated: 3/4

Feb 15, 2024

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

DVDJournal.com

This star-studded, schizophrenic movie can't decide whether it's a thriller or a quirky comedy - so it bounces back and forth, and the result is a stilted, nearly unwatchable mess.

Rated: 1/4

Jan 14, 2022

Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

Too many of the performances need a lot of toning down. But the whole movie revels in its own daffiness, which gives it an engaging personality all its own.

Jan 5, 2018

Full Review

Cathy Burke

United Press International

The film sets out to be large, dramatic and powerful -- as well as endearing -- and misses on every point.

Dec 12, 2017

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 1/5

Jul 2, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Disgraced ex-policeman Nick Starkey (Kevin Kline) is brought back to the force by his brother Frank (Harvey Keitel) to help find a serial killer loose in New York City. Unconventional and misunderstood, Nick figures out the killer's patterns while wooing both his own sister-in-law, Christine (Susan Sarandon), and the mayor's daughter Bernadette (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The police arrest a suspect, but Nick thinks they have the wrong man, so he attempts to find the murderer on his own.

Director: Pat O'Connor
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 17, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.3M
Sound Mix: Surround

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