Hi everyone!
One of the filmmakers that turned me back on to film was Rian Johnson. It happened about a third of the way into BRICK, when I found myself totally engrossed with no idea where the film was heading. After a brief jaunt within the Star Wars universe for THE LAST JEDI, he’s back with another excellent film, this time a murder mystery like no other and every other. Andrew will be up in a minute with his thoughts, as this was a Fantastic Fest feature, but I can’t recommend it enough.
Before the review, we’ll have a promo for our good friends at the Comics in Motion podcast. Every episode, Dave and Chris review a film based on a comic book, providing a lot of key backstory for appreciating the subtler elements. Don’t miss their guest reviews as part of Reign of Terror 2019, first for ALIEN VS PREDATOR (Episode #605), then later incognito for 30 DAYS OF NIGHT (Episode #626). I certainly appreciated their help. You can find them on Twitter and Instagram @ComicsInMotionP and on Facebook @ComicsInMotionPodcast.
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Here we go!
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Hello film fans!
Andrew here. Pinch-hitting on Matinee Monday to bring you perhaps the most mainstream film to premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest. You just might be familiar with director Rian Johnson’s previous film STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII- THE LAST JEDI. So, there are three major films releasing around Thanksgiving. FROZEN II is already killing it at the box office and we haven’t even hit the holiday weekend. A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD with the obvious casting of Tom Hanks is capitalizing on the Mr. Rogers renaissance sparked by last year’s all too similarly titled WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?. Today’s film is the third of the trio. And what to do they all have in common? Near-universal critical acclaim and, in my mind, they’re all family films.
Today’s movie is KNIVES OUT, written and directed by Rian Johnson. KNIVES OUT was a “Special Screening” at the 2019 Fantastic Fest, attended by the director and his personal muse, Noah Segan. Segan is an actor you may recognize as he shows up in small roles in tons of films but is most known for his work with Rian Johnson who cast Segan in his knockout directorial debut BRICK in 2005 - a neo-noir detective thriller set in a high school and led by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Johnson and Segan struck up a friendship and Johnson’s been casting him ever since, appearing in THE BROTHERS BLOOM and LOOPER; even sneaking him into an episode of BREAKING BAD and casting him in THE LAST JEDI as X-Wing pilot Stomeroni Starck. What I’m getting at is that everything Rian Johnson and Noah Segan touch is gold and they team up again with KNIVES OUT. What more do you need to know?
KNIVES OUT stars Daniel Craig going all-in with a deep southern accent as private detective Benoit Blanc, brought in by local police after the suspicious death of Harlan Thrombey, the patriarch of family made wealthy by his prolific career as a mystery novelist. With a vast fortune at stake, everyone is a suspect.
Eldest daughter Linda (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) is the most successful of Harlan’s offspring, running her own real estate empire. Her son Ransom (an out-from-the-shadow-of-Captain-America Chris Evans) is a playboy, drifting in and out of the family when his coffers need replenishing. Harlan’s son Walt (played by Michael Shannon) runs his dad’s publishing company in a clear case of nepotism as the empire still manages to grow despite his mismanagement. Toni Collette portrays Joni, widow of Harlan’s deceased son, a lifestyle guru who depends on family money to maintain her own posh lifestyle. And serving as the film’s emotional core and audience surrogate is Harlan’s nurse Marta (played by Ana de Armas) who has the peculiar quirk of vomiting whenever she lies, a trait used to comedic and plot-driving effect.
Is that all the characters? No, not even half, but that’s enough to get you started.
KNIVES OUT is a modern update on the classic Agatha Christie whodunnit. Kenneth Brannagh dusted off the genre in 2017 with Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS in a pleasant, by-the-numbers take on the story that failed to bowl over the critics or provide much of an update on the dated source material. (That said, I will be there opening weekend for his sequel DEATH ON THE NILE next October.)
With KNIVES OUT, we essentially get the Roy family from HBO’s SUCCESSION, toned down a bit from the farcical levels of that show, bumping heads as they search for the truth about Harland’s death and, far more importantly, his last will and testament.
The best and worst aspects of the film are tied in closely together. The cast is sensational with a bevy of talent fully unshackled to bring maximum energy to these theatrical characters. Everyone gets a few killer lines, though Rian Johnson does save some of the finer repartee for his buddy Noah Segan as Trooper Wagner. Strangely, one of my favorites Lakeith Stanfield feels totally underutilized as Wagner’s superior. The script carries out a complex and shifting mystery laden with non-stop dialogue such that you may want to lay off the soda - because there’s no bathroom break built into these fast 130 minutes.
All told, the only place the film stumbles is that it may try to do a little too much. It is so relentless with its pacing and the complex interrelationships of the family, that it can be a challenge to follow. I had not only mentally prepared myself for a dense film, but I was also taking notes throughout the movie like I was auditing an anthropology class. And there were still several moments of confusion where I felt as if I had completely lost the plot. The film may end up being a little overconfident for holiday audiences and may come off just as smug as many of the characters. Still, I kinda loved it.
What makes KNIVES OUT fantastic?Rian Johnson has written and directed five films and not only are they all immensely entertaining, but he’s proven himself a more than capable filmmaker in any genre. This a wild ride that you can watch with the whole family. There’s really not much objectionable for kids under 13, they just may have a tough time comprehending it. Fair warning, this movie will continue to stoke all of your Thanksgiving table political arguments as it goes right after the wealthy and immigration policy.
KNIVES OUT is a showcase for some of today’s finest actors making the most of an intelligent script replete with razor-sharp wit and humor. Fans of comedic or light-hearted mysteries featuring ensemble casts such as the aforementioned MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, CLUE, or the 1976 film MURDER BY DEATH will enjoy this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 84 (MUST SEE)
One Movie Punch: 9.2/10
KNIVES OUT (2019) is rated PG-13 and opens wide on Wednesday, November 27th.
Come back on Friday and we’ll dip our toe into THE POOL, which I promise is the perfect blackly comic survival film to get your heart-pounding and burn off those Thanksgiving calories. It’s a guy. Trapped in an empty pool with 20-foot walls. There’s a crocodile. There’s lots of rain. There’s a shaggy dog. And there’s Pizza Hut. This film is absolutely bonkers. I’ll see you then.
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