Standing at the crossroads of at least two genres (horror and mystery), "Rag and bone" tells a story about a rookie cop who starts seeing the ghost of a long-dead policeman. The movie plays around with rich, juicy elements, such as Roman Catholicism, doomed love, life after death, murder, political corruption and the like. In other words, all the ingredients are present for a satisfying jambalaya in a sensual-religioso vein. Somehow the result is not as captivating or as disquieting as it could have been.
Perhaps the movie sins by showing too much. After a while the appearance of the ghost becomes commonplace, when it should have remained an exceptional occurrence. Moreover, the ghost doesn't seem to have much purpose in life (or, as the case may be, in afterlife), apart from looking sad, looking miffed or making vaguely passive-aggressive remarks. We, the viewers, can get the same experience by attending a Monday morning meeting with some of our pricklier colleagues.
On the other hand the movie isn't all bad. The New Orleans setting works well, the actors put in an honest day's work and some scenes impress, such as a church filling up with long-dead parishioners taking Communion. A rating of about five stars seems fair.
Perhaps the movie sins by showing too much. After a while the appearance of the ghost becomes commonplace, when it should have remained an exceptional occurrence. Moreover, the ghost doesn't seem to have much purpose in life (or, as the case may be, in afterlife), apart from looking sad, looking miffed or making vaguely passive-aggressive remarks. We, the viewers, can get the same experience by attending a Monday morning meeting with some of our pricklier colleagues.
On the other hand the movie isn't all bad. The New Orleans setting works well, the actors put in an honest day's work and some scenes impress, such as a church filling up with long-dead parishioners taking Communion. A rating of about five stars seems fair.