The Watcher
Short description
Joel Campbell, an FBI agent worn down by years spent pursuing serial killers in Los Angeles, leaves the bureau and moves to Chicago hoping to rebuild his life. His retreat is short-lived. A series of murders in his new city carries the unmistakable signature of David Allen Griffin, a cunning killer Campbell once hunted, who has followed him and turns the pursuit into a private game. Griffin sends photographs of women he intends to kill, giving Campbell until a set time to find each one, and the killer stays just ahead of him. When Griffin edges into Campbell's personal circle, the stakes become immediate.
The 2000 mystery thriller was directed by Joe Charbanic, working from a screenplay by David Elliot and Clay Ayers. James Spader plays Campbell, Keanu Reeves plays Griffin, and Marisa Tomei appears as Dr. Polly Beilman, with Ernie Hudson, Chris Ellis and Robert Cicchini in supporting roles. It was produced by Christopher Eberts, Elliott Lewitt and Jeff Rice for Universal Pictures and several partner companies, on a budget of 33 million USD.
Reception was modest. On IMDb the film holds 5.3/10 from 30,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.2/10 from 565 votes. A critics' rating of 3.7/10 from 90 reviews places professional response below even those audience scores, indicating a largely negative critical consensus for this Chicago-set cat-and-mouse story.
What's left behind the scenes
- Keanu Reeves's name was third on the list of actors involved in the film; he gave verbal consent to director Joe Charbénék several years before work began on the film, after reading the script. Having secured his agreement, the filmmakers were able to cast more well-known actors and secure a larger budget than initially anticipated, and Reeves's role (originally a purely episodic one) was significantly expanded. It is claimed that Reeves (who would have been paid according to the standard rate, while James Spader and Marisa Tomei were to receive $1,000,000 each) had considered leaving the project, but changed his mind over time (apparently remembering the story with Kim Basinger and the 1992 film 'Boxing Helena' directed by Jennifer Lynch). Ultimately, he agreed to star in the film and not criticize it in interviews on the condition that his involvement in the project would not be emphasized. Universal later secured an increase of $2 million in Reeves's fee.
- According to Keanu Reeves, he did not want to star in the film based on the script he was offered to read, but was eventually forced to do so because his assistant forged his signature on the contract. The actor decided it was better to act in the film than to get bogged down in legal disputes. He was contractually obligated to remain silent about this circumstance for the first 12 months after the film's release in the United States.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
