The Riddle

Migraine: 7/10
Movie: 2.5/5

Plot
Journalist Mike Sullivan (Vinnie Jones) is investigating a string of seemingly unrelated murders when his friend and local publican is murdered. Mike stumbles on Charles Dicken's last, lost, unknown manuscript, which may or may not be related to the recent murders. He's aided in his journalistic pursuits by his girlfriend, Kate (Judy Miller), and a lovable ol' scamp, played by Derek Jacobi, who lives in a cave by the Thames. The movie is played out in intertwining narratives, jumping between the modern-day murder investigations and Derek Jacobi, pulling double duty as Charles Dickens, acting out the story in the recovered manuscript.

Thoughts
Where to start? I found the movie somewhat enjoyable, but I'm also on painkillers. The plot suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder. You want to sit it down, Guidance Counselor style, and ask, "Are you about Charles Dickens? Or are you about a murder mystery? Where do you want to be in 5 years?" The murder-mystery is pretty good as is; it's convoluted and makes no sense, but hey, the Bush administration has lowered my standards for just about everything, so I'll take a labrythine, un-realistic murder.

So we got this "eh" level murder plot. And then we get Dickens. Now, I'm a woman who likes her Charlie D. - and I got a degree to prove it - but, why? Why the Dickens with the British mobster? Why. . .? I realize that without the Dickens there's nothing to make this movie different from the 1, 236, 879 other crime mysteries made every year, but it'd sure make a lot more sense. Although, quite frankly, I would watch the movie just to see Derek Jacobi; he's that damn good. He carries the movie with his extensive monologue as Chuck Dick. and brings depth and humanity to the homeless guy.

To conclude: I've seen worse. I've seen better. A good movie to play if you want something on while you're doing chores but you don't want to pay too much attention to it; a background movie.