One question to ask when evaluating a movie is: Who is it for? The answer for "See How They Run" seems to be: Chris Hewitt.
For starters, as I may have noted one or 6,000 times, I am an Agatha Christie fan and "See How They Run" begins at the London theater where her "Mousetrap" is playing and ends at her home. It's set in a time period — the early '50s — that feels glamorous and romantic, with everyone dressed impeccably and (on the surface) behaving kindly. It's a mystery and a comedy. And it stars an inventive, versatile actor, Saoirse Ronan, who is one of the people who makes me most hopeful about the future of movies.
Ronan's wry performance makes a connection to her films with Wes Anderson. There's a silly, deadpan quality to "See How They Run," which, like Anderson, owes a debt to mid-century Ealing studio comedies such as "Passport to Pimlico" and "Kind Hearts and Coronets."
