The Oxford Murders

The Oxford Murders by Nick Schwab

While The Oxford Murders may be about mathematics, it only sticks to formula as much as it has to. The mystery plays out like a tightly wound puzzle, its characters talk about the conclusions in perspective detail, and the film eschews action in favor of philosophical theory. The film is a thinking man's murder mystery, the sort of film for the set of its title: being both highfalutin yet dry in its presentation.

The Oxford Murders is about a serial killer believed to be killing to prove that someone can multiply murder for intellectual reasons, not psychological ones. On the killer's trail is Martin (Elijah Wood), a young, mathematics student with something to prove. He is aided in his search by a mathematics professor, Arthur Seldom (John Hurt,) as well as his nurse-girlfriend Lorna (Leonor Watling.)

Director Alex De La Iglesia tells the story very intelligently, the characters speculation about the events opens the plot up in an often interesting manner. It's a story made out of hypothesis, the film relies on their characters beliefs about how the universe works, thoughts on perception, and cause and effect.

Probably the strongest aspect of the film is the acting by John Hurt. Giving his character the necessary refined articulation and intense intellectual depth to come off as realistic and easily commanding, Hurt brings out his characters layers both genially and with great emotional context.

While The Oxford Murders has its fair share of clichés, and sometimes Iglesia's sense of humor is not so much funny as it is irritating (the character of Yuri who is Martin's study mate is a bit too much,) it is still an intriguing mystery with a final scene and twist driving home its characters' beliefs that the feelings of love and hatred can cause a shock wave across time. The end also brings forth the message in the film that sometimes the answers to everything are not black and white like mathematics but are rather enclosed in our own hearts.

Therefore, although The Oxford Murders may be a bit too talky, considering the characters' conversations are actually interesting it maintains an interest through its own schematics and Hurt's performance, making it surely a lesson most invigorating.

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