Review of The Razor's Edge

The Razor's Edge is very different change of pace for Bill Murray and, as Larry Darrell, his post-WWI search from Paris to Tibet for the meaning to life is engaging. The film is beautiful to look at (especially the scenes in India and Tibet) and the musical score is effecting. In terms of performances, Denholm Elliott is great as usual, but the film really belongs to Theresa Russell, whose tragic character Sophie is played with power and a range of differing emotions. But what of Bill Murray? Well, he is as charming and effortlessly likeable as he always is, but the role needed to be much more of a dramatic departure (akin to Jim Carrey in The Truman Show). As such, the jokey aspects of the performance often make the character feel more like Bill Murray transported back to the early twentieth century rather than the distinctive and emotionally damaged character of Larry Darrell, and so I never really felt like Murray represented a man of 1914-1920. Furthermore, the film needed more solid foundation in WWI to stress the shock and loss of spirit he later feels and which motivates him to leave his life behind. Indeed, the impetus (the death of Piedmont) doesn't really get much screen time and nor do we see much interaction between Darrell and Piedmont, so it isn't really that evident why this causes such a radical change and motivates his global quest. But for all of that, it is a good film and while the role does not stretch Murray away from his comedy roots enough, it is still a different perspective on his work and Theresa Russell is excellent.