Review of One for the Money (2012) by Jluis L — 03 Jun 2013

Why do best-selling mystery series featuring female detectives have such a hard time on the big screen? Even though Kathleen Turner was still close to the peak of her Kathleen Turner-ness 20 years ago, her playing Sara Paretskyâ(TM)s Chicago-based heroine in âV.I. Warshawskyâ(TM)â(TM) was a dud. Now joining Turner in distaff detective dud-dom is Katherine Heigl, playing Janet Evanovichâ(TM)s decidedly non-macho New Jersey-based bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum.

âOne for the Money,â(TM)â(TM) based on the first novel in the series, isnâ(TM)t terrible. Terrible might have been more interesting. Like Heigl, the director, Julie Anne Robinson, is a veteran of âGreyâ(TM)s Anatomy,â(TM)â(TM) and the movie has the by-the-numbers efficiency of a decent TV series, and about as much flavor.

Having been laid off six months earlier as the manager of a Macyâ(TM)s lingerie department, Stephanieâ(TM)s so desperate for a job she goes to work for her cousin, a bail bondsman. She can earn herself $50,000 by bringing in a cop charged with murder (Jason Oâ(TM)Mara) whoâ(TM)s skipped bail. Even better, a decade later sheâ(TM)s still smarting over his having dumped her after a one-night stand in high school. So Stephanie is definitely on the case. This eventually leads to encounters with a couple of comedy-relief hookers, several other murders, and a heroin ring.

The biggest problem âOne for the Moneyâ(TM)â(TM) faces is trying to have it both ways: gritty-ethnic inner city vs. girly-girly comic. âOne-hundred twenty-five pounds of angry female can do a lot of damage,â(TM)â(TM) Stephanie boasts after tackling a bad guy - â130, topsâ(TM)â(TM) (which would be a lot funnier if Heigl had any reason to joke about her weight). This is chick-lit Elmore Leonard. And while Heigl doesnâ(TM)t embarrass herself, neither she nor Robinson has the kind of knack for the offbeat needed to exploit such eccentric material.