The Laughing Policeman

Reviewer: Alex Brinkman
Rating (out of 5): ***

If you live in San Francisco or are a fan of movies taking place here, then you're obligated to check out The Laughing Policeman. If you're a Walter Matthau fan (which means you like men with permanent grimaces; hint: the title is meant to be ironic) this is a must-see. Watching too many hard-boiled thriller-type movies after say, 1980, might cause you to lose your patience while watching Matthau doggedly chase down (this may be hyperbolizing his velocity) an unknown assailant who killed nine people on a bus (the venerable 14-Mission to be precise). The pace might be a little slow if break-neck speed is in your list of criteria for enjoying a good cop-flick, but this is easily forgiven based on the fact that reality is better reflected here (the bouquet of cynicism is delightful, especially given the period). You'll find none of the convenient plot-points that skip over the hum-drum of actually attempting to solve a case which doesn't involve fantastical and far-fetched revelations, all usually adding up to wondering why actual detective work seems so inefficient.

Bruce Dern's placement in the movie as a younger, less dedicated, yet well-adjusted detective works well as contrast to Matthau's hound-dog mug. And if you'd like to see a younger Louis Gossett (Iron Eagle fans Unite!), look no further. The reason San Francisco was chosen as the location (if the city's noirish Hammett history isn't enough) reveals itself quickly when you hear Dern's character actually use the term "fruiter." It's so politically incorrect you've got to love it, and then be embarrassed by it, and then remember why nostalgia's a double-edged sword, then love it again. The only question you might be asking yourself by the end of the movie is why Walter Matthau's character was given a wife and kids when a bottle of bourbon and a pack of Lucky Strikes would have done just fine.