The Watcher

Spader and Tomei, as the haunted ex-cop and his lonely shrink, add a human dimension to a derivative scenario. Based on the premise that serial killers, whose obsession is with their victims, also like to play cat and mouse games with the cops, this has voyeuristic strangler Reeves (comatose) following the burnt-out Spader to Chicago. Reeves believes that they have a vitalising 'yin and yang'-type relationship, so he starts sending Spader photos of his intended victims, 24 hours in advance. Spader takes the bait, cleans up his act and discovers new meaning in his life. Tomei, meanwhile, unwittingly offers psychoanalytical solace to both cop and killer. Veteran cinematographer Michael Chapman adds an unearned class to the cityscapes and over-designed interiors, but the director's penchant for MTV-style flashbacks and shaky-cam killer's-eye shots merely induces headaches. And the more Marco Beltrami's overpitched score tries to crank up the suspense level, the more vapid, pointless and unexciting it gets.