Like the recent film adaptations of Brideshead Revisited and Pride & Prejudice, 2003’s The Singing Detective tries to cram the entirety of a mini-series into feature-length. While the shorter projects have their charms, the longer versions take the time to showcase the details and twists in the writing.

Still, The Singing Detective, based on Dennis Potter’s television series, exhibits certain charms – especially a rebounding Robert Downey Jr.

Grade: C+ The Singing Detective is currently available.