 |
| Detective Blanc (Daniel Craig) and Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas). |
I can't recall the last time we had a good mystery movie. I'm not talking about the psychological thrillers or neo-noirs like Gone Girl or Chinatown, I mean an old-fashioned whodunit murder mystery. The last one that comes to mind is the campy but enjoyable Clue movie from the eighties. Leave it to Rian Johnson, who after the success of Star Wars: The Last Jedi returns to his roots that began with his first film Brick, in a story that would make Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie proud.
 |
| Harlan Thrombey's (Christopher Plummer) birthday party. |
On the night of his eighty-fifth birthday. Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) a wealthy but eccentric crime author is found dead in his room. The cause of death is ruled as suicide but when world-renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is brought onto the scene, he suspects foul play is afoot.
 |
| Thrombey's family. |
The list of suspects include: Harlan's strict eldest daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), her cheating husband Richard (Don Johnson), their spoiled playboy son Ranson (Chris Evans), Harlan's kind nurse and caretaker Marta (Ana de Armas), Harlen's frustrated youngest son Walter (Michael Shannon), Harlen's giddy widowed daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) and Walter's phone-obsessed son Jacob (Jaeden Martell). Secrets and lies beheld our suspects, and a possible motive for the murder, but who, how, where and why?
Knives Out is a throwback to classic detective stories. Unlike Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, it retains its classy detective aura and unlike Murder on the Oriental Express, which has been adapted countless times including its most recent 2017 adaptation, this is an original story not based on any existing material. Johnson goes even further by deconstructing the genre and plays with our expectations. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, Johnson twists the knife in several shocking surprises that we are left second guessing ourselves. When the audience can't figure out the mystery until the final reveal, than the movie has done its job.
With a great ensemble that also includes Lakeith Stanfield and Noah Segan as police investigators assisting in the case, Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas are the two that stand out. Craig trades in his sleek and confident Bond identity for a more silly Southern Sherlock and still presents it with class. Cuban actress Armas best known for her holographic role in Blade Runner 2049 gives another memorable performance. Shout-out to Chris Evans playing against type of his heroic Captain America persona. With cameos that feature Muppet legend Frank Oz in a rare onscreen performance and M. Emmet Walsh best in known for film noir roles like Blade Runner and Blood Simple (I remember him best from Snow Dogs) the fanboy in me was jumping with joy.
If you ever need a remainder of why we go to the movies, you can add Knives Out to the list.
Final Verdict: A
No comments:
Post a Comment