IT IS HARD ENOUGH FOR ME to make up my mind in a bakery or candy store; but if I had a child like the one, I saw at the candy shop, I think I would have gone out of my mind. But then again, I do not think I was anything like the child’s mother. The mother and child were next to be helped by the only employee present in the store. I was there to buy a box of candy to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. The friend and his wife had invited a couple of us over for dinner, telling us there was no need to bring anything. Normally, I would have brought a dessert if asked, but I felt a box of candy or nuts would be appropriate. While standing in line, I watched this child go from one display case to another and another until they looked at all six of the cases that formed a semi-circle inside the space. The mother’s number was called and as she walked to the front of the case, where the employee was standing behind, near the cash register, she turned and asked her son what candy he wanted to pick. He shouted he was not done looking. All of us in line watched as the boy kept going from case to case and back looking at all the items displayed. It was not long before I shot an irritated look at the employee when I was able to catch her eye.      IF I WERE THE CHILD’S PARENT, I would have explained people are waiting and if he cannot pick one item now then we will have to leave. The mother unfortunately did not choose that option to goad her son. Instead, all she said was to pick out something he would really like. Because my jaw was already clenched, I did not let what my mind was saying slip out of my mouth. Now before you think of me as a grump, I want you to know I understand, seeing that many choices can be overwhelming. Knowing me, I would have to pick out a couple different items. Though, I learned mixing up multiple flavors diminishes the time and taste of enjoying each one separately. Many people can dole out their choices but in this type of situation I tend to go with the instant gratification trait and finish everything unless the amount is too large. Maybe that is where the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth” came from. In the case of this crime mystery drama, I can certainly say too many options muddled the story.      AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF A DEAD body in a vacant home that was up for sale, a detective seems to be on the verge of cracking the case just when another clue steers him in a new direction. Can the detective figure things out before everything unravels? With Benicio Del Toro (Inherent Vice, The French Dispatch) as Tom Nichols, Justin Timberlake (Palmer, The Social Network) as Will Grady, Eric Bogosian (Uncut Gems, Talk Radio) as Captain Robert Allen, Alicia Silverstone (Bed Therapy, Blast From the Past) as Judy Nichols and Frances Fisher (Titanic, The Roommate) as Camille Grady; this film could or should be the platform to launch Benicio and Alicia into their own franchise as the characters they played in this film. They were so good together that they saved this convoluted script from sinking further down. There were too many plot twists to the point I was getting tired trying to figure out each character. It was a shame because I felt this could have been a good mystery/detective story that could have done a better job of grabbing the viewer’s attention. The other issue was the script needed a few more tension filled thrills; the pacing was too slow which lessened the impact of various scenes. If the writers had focused on fewer story lines and with the acting from Alicia and Benicio, this would have been a particularly good movie.

2 ½ stars