Knives Out
3/4
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, LaKeith Stanfield, Noah Segan
Rated PG-13 for Thematic Elements including Brief Violence, Some Strong Language, Sexual References, and Drug Material
Who doesn't love a good mystery?
I know I do, but unfortunately anything that doesn't come from Marvel or DC isn't in vogue these days. Or if someone decides to take a chance, it's a remake or based on a book (or, preferably, both). Enter Rian Johnson, a talented filmmaker who thrives on venturing into the unknown and is unafraid of a challenge.
The patriarch of the Thrombey family has died. Before he shuffled off his mortal coil, Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) made a fortune writing mystery novels, which he turned into a publishing empire. Everyone thinks that it was suicide, including the bumbling cops (Stanfield and Segan), and his children are waiting to get their hands on the inheritance. The sooner the better, by the looks of it. Only one man isn't convinced. He's a famous private detective named Benoit Blanc (Craig), and he's determined to get to the bottom of what happened. So the question is...did Thrombey cut his own throat, or was he murdered?
Whodunits are notoriously difficult to translate onto film. Novelists can camouflage the seams with prose, but, being a visual medium bound by time constraints, filmmakers do not have that luxury. For every success like "Identity" there are a dozen failures like "The Snowman." Fortunately, Rian Johnson is too talented to make a bad movie, so "Knives Out" works. Mainly because he demonstrates good sleight-of-hand and employs a wicked sense of humor.
For the most part, this isn't an actor's show. There are only two characters that matter: the colorful Blac, and the maid, Maria (de Armas), whom he suspects (correctly) of knowing more than she is telling. Everyone else is on hand to be a suspect. The cast, which includes the likes of Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, and Jamie Lee Curtis, is fine at being greedy and self-centered, but the only scene stealer is Daniel Craig, who seems to be having a ball. He's not as quirky as Johnny Depp would have been, but he's fun to watch. And last year's "it" girl Ana de Armas continues to show great range as an actress.
Rian Johnson has been a director to watch ever since he made that high school film noir "Brick" back in 2005. That movie was intriguing until it fell apart in the final stretch. He ventured into Wes Anderson territory with "The Brothers Bloom," only with more wit and less arrogance, desperation and contempt for his audience. Those were what critics called "interesting failures." Meaning, they didn't "work" in the strictest sense of the word, but they showed that Johnson had talent and promise as a filmmaker. It wasn't until "Looper" that he finally showed what he was capable of, bringing audiences one of the best and most original sci-fi thrillers in years (reportedly, Emily Blunt loved the script so much that she agreed to star in it before she even got to her character's entrance). After he dabbled in the "Star Wars" saga, he's back with an original work. It isn't flawless (the middle act is a bit sluggish). but it shows that he is willing to take a chance. It also shows a sense of humor, which he hasn't gotten to show before (both "Brick" and "Looper" were on the serious side, and "The Brothers Bloom" was too quirky and deadpan for its own good). There are some delicious one-liners to be found here, and Benoit Blanc is always entertaining.
"Knives Out" isn't a masterpiece, or even an especially good mystery. But I saw it and was entertained. I laughed, I was intrigued, and I cared. I don't think it will be nominated for an Oscars or appear on too many Top 10 lists, but, for those who are venturing into the theaters after the superhero bloat, it's a good time.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, LaKeith Stanfield, Noah Segan
Rated PG-13 for Thematic Elements including Brief Violence, Some Strong Language, Sexual References, and Drug Material
Who doesn't love a good mystery?
I know I do, but unfortunately anything that doesn't come from Marvel or DC isn't in vogue these days. Or if someone decides to take a chance, it's a remake or based on a book (or, preferably, both). Enter Rian Johnson, a talented filmmaker who thrives on venturing into the unknown and is unafraid of a challenge.
The patriarch of the Thrombey family has died. Before he shuffled off his mortal coil, Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) made a fortune writing mystery novels, which he turned into a publishing empire. Everyone thinks that it was suicide, including the bumbling cops (Stanfield and Segan), and his children are waiting to get their hands on the inheritance. The sooner the better, by the looks of it. Only one man isn't convinced. He's a famous private detective named Benoit Blanc (Craig), and he's determined to get to the bottom of what happened. So the question is...did Thrombey cut his own throat, or was he murdered?
Whodunits are notoriously difficult to translate onto film. Novelists can camouflage the seams with prose, but, being a visual medium bound by time constraints, filmmakers do not have that luxury. For every success like "Identity" there are a dozen failures like "The Snowman." Fortunately, Rian Johnson is too talented to make a bad movie, so "Knives Out" works. Mainly because he demonstrates good sleight-of-hand and employs a wicked sense of humor.
For the most part, this isn't an actor's show. There are only two characters that matter: the colorful Blac, and the maid, Maria (de Armas), whom he suspects (correctly) of knowing more than she is telling. Everyone else is on hand to be a suspect. The cast, which includes the likes of Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, and Jamie Lee Curtis, is fine at being greedy and self-centered, but the only scene stealer is Daniel Craig, who seems to be having a ball. He's not as quirky as Johnny Depp would have been, but he's fun to watch. And last year's "it" girl Ana de Armas continues to show great range as an actress.
Rian Johnson has been a director to watch ever since he made that high school film noir "Brick" back in 2005. That movie was intriguing until it fell apart in the final stretch. He ventured into Wes Anderson territory with "The Brothers Bloom," only with more wit and less arrogance, desperation and contempt for his audience. Those were what critics called "interesting failures." Meaning, they didn't "work" in the strictest sense of the word, but they showed that Johnson had talent and promise as a filmmaker. It wasn't until "Looper" that he finally showed what he was capable of, bringing audiences one of the best and most original sci-fi thrillers in years (reportedly, Emily Blunt loved the script so much that she agreed to star in it before she even got to her character's entrance). After he dabbled in the "Star Wars" saga, he's back with an original work. It isn't flawless (the middle act is a bit sluggish). but it shows that he is willing to take a chance. It also shows a sense of humor, which he hasn't gotten to show before (both "Brick" and "Looper" were on the serious side, and "The Brothers Bloom" was too quirky and deadpan for its own good). There are some delicious one-liners to be found here, and Benoit Blanc is always entertaining.
"Knives Out" isn't a masterpiece, or even an especially good mystery. But I saw it and was entertained. I laughed, I was intrigued, and I cared. I don't think it will be nominated for an Oscars or appear on too many Top 10 lists, but, for those who are venturing into the theaters after the superhero bloat, it's a good time.
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