★★★½☆
15 November 2019
A movie review of KNIVES OUT. |
Director: Rian Johnson (THE LAST JEDI, LOOPER, THE BROTHERS BLOOM, BRICK).
Starring: Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, LaKeith Stansfield, Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer.
“I guessed who did it anyway,” Alicia (Shyrley Rodriguez)
A meta line, where in the opening minutes a character talks about a whodunnit television show she is watching. The victim, and catalyst for the story, is a best-selling murder mystery author. The self-reference enhances KNIVES OUT’s crowd-pleasing elements.
Starring: Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, LaKeith Stansfield, Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer.
“I guessed who did it anyway,” Alicia (Shyrley Rodriguez)
A meta line, where in the opening minutes a character talks about a whodunnit television show she is watching. The victim, and catalyst for the story, is a best-selling murder mystery author. The self-reference enhances KNIVES OUT’s crowd-pleasing elements.
A week after the patriarch’s death, the family are recalled to his palatial home. Private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is consulting with the police. Craig seems to have carried over a variation of his accent from LOGAN LUCKY [2017]. He reminds of Columbo, even down to a beige coat. He has been hired by an unknown client to re-investigate the death of 85-year old Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Initially declared a suicide, Blanc suspects foul play.
All members of the Thrombey family have motivation. One wondered whether we were in GOSFORD PARK [2001] territory. Don’t worry, KNIVES OUT does not feel like a retread. Though, it does have an old-fashioned pace. The movie is quaint rather than pulse racing.
There are three tiers to director Rian Johnson’s films:
- The dire (THE LAST JEDI [2017])
- The solid (this and THE BROTHERS BLOOM [2008])
- The excellent (BRICK [2005] and LOOPER [2012]).
Amongst the droll dialogue, and it feels like everyone speaks in degrees of droll, are pop culture references, from BABY DRIVER [2017] to CSI and MURDER SHE WROTE. And socio-political commentary weaved in, without being preachy:
- Entitlement and class – the family are spoilt, greedy, thieving, wasteful, etc. etc.
- Racism – the police assume nurse Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) is the help. The family claim to love Marta as one of their own, yet get her country of origin continually wrong.
- Merciless right-wing politics – Marta’s mother is threatened with deportation. Son of Walt (Michael Shannon) and Donna Thrombey (Riki Lindhome), Jacob (Jaeden Martell), is described as an “alt-right troll dipsh*t.” The verbal metaphorical knives are out.
- And of course in this genre, observations on money.
KNIVES OUT contains entertaining, charismatic performances, where the players tuck into scenes with relish. Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Evans are particular standouts. This is an all-star entitlement critique enveloped in a murder mystery romp. A few chortles and political jabs elevate the experience. Not in the same league as the director's BRICK though.