Elmer Leonard's Freaky Deaky On Film
Elmore Leonard (1925 -- 2013) was an outstanding writer of westerns and crime fiction whose best works are included in four volumes of the prestigious Library of America series. Many of Leonard's novels and stories have been adopted into film, with mixed results. In 1988, Leonard wrote a novel set in his hometown of Detroit with the unusual title "Freaky Deaky" which became a film of the same name in 2012 directed by Charles Matthau. I loved Leonard's novel when I read it last year. I was reminded of the book and wanted to see the film while reading another novel offering a sympathetic portrayal of the radicals of the 1960s and 1970s. Leonard's novel had a different view of this radicalism and its aftermath. Unfortunately, I didn't like the film. It was slow and tedious and didn't catch the point of Leonard's novel.
The story is about a Detroit bomb squad detective, Mankowski (Billy Burke) who becomes involved in a complicated scheme involving radicals from the 1960s who have served time and are seeking to kill two wealthy brothers for revenge and for fortune. The villains include a 1960s bomb expert, a young woman radical turned romance novelist, and a former Black Panther. These three individuals plot together and against each other in working to kill the brothers and to acquire their large fortune. While pursuing the criminals, Mankowski is also trying to establish a relationship with a young actress who has been raped by one of the lethargic, decadent brothers that the villains of the story want to rob and kill His risky life resulting from duty on the bomb squad has made it difficult for Mankowski to establish a lasting relationship with a woman..
Although the film follows the book closely enough, it falls flat. It has its moments but never comes alive. It is slow and ponderous, just the wrong traits for an Elmore Leonard story. Leonard's book has a strong sense of social commentary, in addition to all the mayhem, in its reflection upon the radical social movements of the 1960s. His thoughts on the 1960s and their excesses get lost in the film adaptation. The film thus didn't help me as a counterweight to the novel I had been reading about the 1960s. I didn't think the movie worked either for itself or as an adaptation of Leonard's novel.
I have been enjoying exploring Leonard's novels for some time. I like to see film adaptations of his works for the insights and interpretations they may have to offer. With that purpose in mind, I was glad to see this film version of "Freaky Deaky". The movie will have most interest to admirers of Leonard's writing.
Robin Friedman
