Caveman’s Valentine, The

A homeless urban psychotic (Samuel L. Jackson) discovers a frozen corpse in a tree outside his cave. The cops think it’s an accidental death, but a strange obsession convinces our hero that is was murder, and he hesitantly takes on the role of a schizophrenic Sherlock Holmes. Adapted by George Dawes Green from his own novel, the film is a dual tour de force—for Jackson’s bravura, all-stops-out performance—and for the riveting, assured direction of Kasi Lemmons. Balancing an intricate, ingenious plot with pointed character study, Lemmons and Jackson show us the character’s struggle with demons real and imagined (assisted by some well-placed digital effects), both from his viewpoint and through the eyes of others. The result is a compelling, individual drama unlike any you’re ever likely to see.