MovieChat Forums > Nightwatch (1998) Discussion > Josh Brolin's character should've been t...

Josh Brolin's character should've been the prime suspect!

posted 11 years ago by CptHowdy87
4 replies | jump to latest

I remember watching this movie years ago and I just finished watching the movie for the first time in years, on blu-ray, and although I know how things played out and who the killer was, I couldn't help but think that Josh Brolin's character should've been a prime suspect, not just to the police but to the audience for alot more of the films duration. I thought his character was really interesting and intriguing and that the movie eliminated him as a suspect way too early on.

The scene after the confrontation in the bar was excellent where James talks about how he doesn't get the same joy and satisfaction out of life that he used to and he's looking for something to make him feel alive again. Only a few scenes later is the confrontation with Joyce which essentially eliminates James as a suspect in the audiences eyes for the rest of the movie making the only other suspect too obvious.

I thought it was a missed opportunity. I still enjoyed the movie though.

[–] hexedd 11 years ago

I agree Howdy. This was a good movie but there were some inconsistencies and missed opportunities to make this movie go from a 6 to an 8. Brolin did an excellent job as he always does and they should've taken more advantage of using him for scenes like the one in the car you mentioned. There was a lot of IMO wasted scene time that could've been used to keep the film 1:40 but flesh out the characters more. Like for example we know they're in law school but they only ever show one scene of them in the classroom, and this could've added more depth to their characters. Martin was really the only character you got to know, and even then not much. The supporting cast was great, especially Brolin and Brad Dourif, and they could've even added an extra twenty minutes to bring out their strengths a little more also. Nick Nolte played a good villain but you're right, as soon as they eliminated Brolin as a suspect there was barely any mystery left, and I don't know about you, but I thought it was pretty obvious from about 10 minutes in that it wasn't a schizophrenia type story where it would end up being Martin, his character was just too "good." So basically, they created a lot of possibility for tension and then it just seemed to fall short. A good movie for sure, but it pales in comparison to something like Zodiac or Silence of the Lambs. It just seemed to be a film with a bit of an identity crisis. It was part thriller, part mystery, and sometimes even part horror (the morgue scenes) but it didn't do any of them exceptionally. Anyway that's my two cents. Good but not great film. Mostly fun to watch now to see so many big times Hollywood actors in their "younger" years.

[–] masuka-fan 11 years ago

I thought he was presented as an "obvious" suspect to the audience...which, of course, meant that it wasn't him.

"Passion is just insanity in a cashmere sweater!"

[–] Lothar_Quint 10 years ago

I totally agree.

[–] christianeagles 8 years ago

Just got done watching this and was thinking the same thing. The movie doesn't really keep you guessing for long. The scene where Martin approaches him in the laundry mat was great because it kind of makes it look it may be him but then like 5 minutes later they reveal it to be Nick Nolte.