Mischa Redfern
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
Marva-nova
Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Haven Kaycee
It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
teemu-uusitalo
So what we have here is an British-ish kind of detective story that has an American exchange student in it. That partially, perhaps, causes a strange blend of both American and British features in the movie.What I really love in British detective stories is that usually they are quite calm, slow and sophisticated. It creates a certain mood to the movies. However, 'The Oxford Murders' basically does its everything to destroy that mood by cinematography that just makes me want to look away. The takes are very much too rapid and hectic. I don't think it suits here at all. This American guy, played by Elijah Wood, also has some sex in the film, which I personally find too intensive for a British detective story. It just doesn't fit there. It felt awkward in this particular film. The movie was directed by a Spanish guy but I believe he knows much stuff about British detective stories if he makes one. The new stuff he tries to pull here doesn't work, though. Of course there is some good here, too. I love John Hurt's performance. Also the strange mathematics are intriguing, everything I do understand about it whatsoever. All in all, I'm not sure what kind of game the film makers are playing here. Everything happening on screen is happening too fast and oddly for this genre. I'd love to like this movie more but many details are too out of place and the whole movie is like a terribly played discord with an otherwise beautiful instrument.5/10
blanche-2
"The Oxford Murders" from 2008, I will admit gave me a headache. All I have to do is hear the word "math" and I'm out the door. This is a murder mystery dependent upon some mathematical concepts in order to solve the various murders.The film takes place at Oxford University, where an ambitious young student, majoring in mathematics and number theory, Martin, played by Elijah Wood, comes to the school anxious to work with a Professor Seldom (John Hurt).The two end up endeavoring to solve a series of murders that revolve around mathematical symbols. The first murder has to do with the fibonacci series, which apparently is something learned by school children in England. I'm American and from a different generation, so much of this was lost on me.You will obviously love this film much more if you can follow the mathematics; without the math, there is a normal mystery along with several twists. There is also the wonderful John Hurt.Worth checking out particularly if you have interest in the various theories.
Matt Kracht
The plot: A disillusioned student and his cynical professor help the police try to solve a murder mystery based on mathematics and logic.I had high hopes for this movie, based on the opening. It was engaging, intelligent, and talking about some topics that I really enjoy. Unfortunately, I should have realized that it would degenerate into a pretentious mess, as it tried desperately to prove how witty the writers could be.Still, I was willing to accept that it was going to turn into a cheesy Seven clone. The cast is really impressive, and it at least pays lip service to some interesting ideas, even if they are a bit cursory or shallow at times. Then again, I doubt most people want to hear philosophy or mathematics lectures in the middle of their murder mystery. I'm not quite sure where the proper balance is, but I think Seven was much closer than The Oxford Murders.There are requisite red herrings, plot twists, and Sherlock Holmes style deductions. There are also romantic subplots, academic politics, and even something of a coming-of-age tale, about an idealistic young man who discovers, to his horror, that his idol is a colossal jerk. Although I identified more with the colossal jerk than the idealistic protagonist (the opposite of what you're supposed to do, I think), both characters are given time to shine and expound on their individual beliefs. Neither the romantic subplot nor the romantic interest herself are given as much attention, making them seem a bit like plot devices than fully-realized elements of the movie.This is an inoffensive movie that often feels like it could have been better. Near the end, I was getting a bit impatient, and I began trying to predict the movie's ending rather than concentrating on the movie itself. I wasn't entirely correct, but I was in the right ballpark. I'm sure that, if you care enough and pay close enough attention, you'll be able to do better than me. It doesn't take a logical genius to predict how a genre film will end once you've seen enough of them.
ksm2010
This movie is a great movie. I like this kind of movies a lot. The things I liked about this movie are so many but three of them were the most ones. first, It was quite ambiguous at the beginning. However, with time it started to be clearer. Second, the characters were simple and the story also was not that complicated. My favorite character in the movie was the professor. Many people would think that what he did is wrong which was hiding the truth. I agree that what he did is wrong but he did it right!! Lastly,the movie was based on limited number of characters. In my opinion, that gave this movie a great advantage because more characters means more details which will take the focus away from the main story which is finding the murderer.
