The Singing Detective

Robert Downey Jr. is in fine form as an alienated skin disease suffering hospital patient who finds refuge, and ultimately redemption, by imaging himself in the world of the pulp noir novels he’s written. Like a cross between “All That Jazz” and “Blue Velvet,” the story bounces between Downey’s bizarre reveries, past experiences and comical confrontations with his psychiatrist (Mel Gibson) that make up the best scenes in the movie. The film’s colorful song-and-dance set pieces rely on lip-synced ’50s songs that are the weakest link in a bumbling but gregarious movie.
Rated R. 109 mins. (C) (Two Stars)