Knives Out (2019) film review

Year: 2019
Running Time: 130 minutes
Director/Writer: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, LaKeith Stanfield, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome.

Knives Out is now showing in cinemas everywhere thanks to Studiocanal.

Rian Johnson's murderous affair, Knives Out is a return to the glory days of the whodunnit. With it's atmosphere of dread and intrigue combined with a spectacular cast who all deliver captivating performances, Knives Out is a reminder of how much fun cinema can really be when everything comes together with perfect timing.

Knives Out feels like Johnson's tribute to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories. In particular, the film follows the formula of Murder on The Orient Express with it's grand cast and their intriguing and colourful characters, each with a motive for committing the cruellest of crimes. The location here, which is incredibly important in such a story as it needs to have just as much character as the humans, is the exquisite, atmospheric and often quirky Massachusetts manor of bestselling author, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). After his untimely death following his 85th birthday party, private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is called in to investigate his death. Even though the easiest conclusion to make about the cause of death is to rule suicide, Blanc believes that one of the family members has something to hide and that Thrombey's death is the result of creative foul play.

The film is a rare type of multi-layered mystery. It plays very much on the idea of things aren't always as they seem and even when you know that things aren't as they seem, how they aren't still remains a mystery. There is a certain level of predictability to Knives Out, but at the same time, it manages to be unpredictable from another angle.

However, it is Johnson's storytelling that is the keeps the film flowing and intrigue high despite whether it is predictable or not. The screenplay is airtight with extremely witty and entertaining dialogue. This characters are all unique and, despite the astounding situation, are relatable as far as personalities in big families go. No family gathering involving money and alcohol is ever a quiet event when there are clashing personalities the way there are in Knives Out. There is no doubt that in the film that Harlan's nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas) is perhaps the purest of souls and has the bad luck of being involved in situations beyond her control. The other characters have large personalities and have all been tainted by Harlan's money, which in turn has made them all dependant, greedy and, to an extent, bitter. Each has a motive to kill, but it is the journey of getting to know each of the characters and laughing at their qualities that makes Knives Out as fun as it is.

The stellar cast give their all when bringing these highly entertaining characters to life. Again, the film is very much like an Agatha Christie novel with Daniel Craig leading as the famous Benoit Blanc. He is indeed entertaining and full of life, but it is Ana de Armas as Marta who the film revolves around and she is such a gentle and endearing leading lady. She immediately earns the audience's love and respect, which is consistent throughout the film. Chris Evans gives new life to the stereotypical spoilt rich kid-adult as Ransom and, like any narcissistic character wishes to do, is the star of every scene he is in with his impeccable timing and enduring sarcasm. He is a fantastic presence in the film and undoubtedly an audience favourite. Michael Shannon, Jaime Lee Curtis and Toni Colette are all also extraordinary characters, who unfortunately don't receive as much screen time as the previously mentioned.

Knives Out brings back the lost art of making the murder mystery fun. With it's individual form of black comedy and host of brilliant characters, it is a film that transports you into a wild world of family turmoil that has never been so enjoyable.

8.5/10

Enough Said (2013)

Year: 2013

Running Time: 93 minutes

Director: Nicole Holofcener

Writer: Nicole Holofcener

Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone

 

Enough Said will be released in Australia on the 14th November 2013 and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Now showing in the USA and the UK.

 

Enough Said is one of the most refreshingly real romantic comedies of recent times.

 

While not all of us will go through the same situation these characters go through, the film deals with some very real feelings dealt with when approaching a new relationship, while still hurting from the last one. Enough Said is a grown up comedy, which is still incredibly moving and can also be quite saddening at times. Not to mention it is an emotional experience in itself seeing the last of James Gandolfini on screen and especially in such a beautiful performance which reminds us what we have lost.

 

Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a masseuse and single mother who's daughter, much to her dismay, is about to leave her to go to college. She has not had another serious relationship since her ex-husband, until she meets Albert (James Gandolfini) at a party and the two start dating. At the same point in time, she forms a friendship with a new client of hers, Marianne (Catherine Keener), who she very much looks up to. Eva soon finds out that Albert is Marianne's ex-husband, the man who Marianne has been telling Eva all these horrible things about, making life extremely awkward for her. Eva struggles to distinguish the difference between what she thinks about her new boyfriend and what Marianne thinks about her ex husband as a result.

 

Enough Said is a really beautiful film about human behaviour and relationships. Director and writer, Nicole Holofcener has done a wonderful job of constructing a screenplay with so much feeling and which brings out so much character in all the players. The only criticism that can be made about the screenplay is that it has a period in the middle of the film where it feels as though the film has started to chase it's on tail. The same conversation seems to keep taking place while Eva is trying to figure out what to do in her predicament and it takes awhile for the film to keep flowing, but when it does, it is well worth it.

 

Enough Said can be incredibly realistic at times and many people will see themselves in characters such as Eva and Albert. The films representation of divorced or separated parents can be quite haunting in it's realism. One of the most striking moments of the film occurs when Eva is trying to explain to Albert why she didn't tell him how she knew his ex-wife. She explains that she was trying to protect herself against getting hurt in the same way she did in her marriage, to which Albert replies "But you forgot to protect us".

 

This line and indeed much of the film will hit very close to home for those people who have been married (or have just been in a long term committed relationship) before and are trying to move on with a new relationship. As Eva does in the film, as much as you try not to compare your new relationship to the last one, you are continuously on the look out for signs why it could not work instead of  reasons why it should. It is frustrating to the viewer to see how Eva starts focusing on the negatives in her relationship with Albert, rather than seeing the positives, which are incredibly evident to someone looking from the outside in. Yet, people like Eva will be able to understand how it is incredibly hard to just take the good with the bad and move ahead. Once you have found yourself able to allow the good to wash over the bad, you can move on, but if you continue to see a new relationship as an extension of the failed one, it will inevitably reach the same demise as the first.

Another factor of the film which many people will find familiar is that of the children moving away from home for the first time. Both Eva and Albert are very close to their daughters and Eva especially has a very hard time saying goodbye to her daughter as she feels like she has no one else. As the film progresses, it is almost a grieving process for her and she tries to find ways to cope with the feeling of neglect that she is experiencing. Again, from the outside we know that Eva's daughter, Ellen is not neglecting her, but only undertaking a rite of passage of leaving home to go to college so common to American young adults. Yet, in Eva's situation, the separation is made even harder and she feels the need to again protect herself from the inevitable pain of losing her daughter to college. In today's society it is not an unfamiliar story where single parents try to find new love and are faced with feeling incredibly alone when their children leave home, and these themes in Enough Said will be quite saddening to some people, but will also cause relief in others who will finally realise that the way they feel is not all that uncommon.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is wonderful as the leading lady in Enough Said. She completely embodies her character and is incredibly likable despite her bad decisions. Her Eva is a character who many people will be able to relate to. Louis-Dreyfus' comedic background helps her very much in the film and it is the little things with her dash of humour which make her performance so gorgeous.

James Gandolfini's whole performance is just so heart-breaking. Even without the knowledge that this was his last role before his untimely death, it is still terrible to see such a beautiful character as his being treated so badly on screen. Although Catherine Keener does give a good performance as his ex-wife, Marianne is an incredibly selfish and snobbish character. Albert on the other hand has flaws, but is so gentle and lovable. It crushes you as you watch events crush him throughout the film. Even though Louis-Dreyfus' is the star of the film, Gandolfini is the hero. His simple and subtle, yet emotional and charismatic performance is one which will be remembered.

Enough Said is a film that looks simple enough on the surface, but has a great deal of depth. This is achieved by a wonderful screenplay brought to life by perfect performances.

8/10

Sydney Film Festival: The Way, Way Back (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Cast: Liam James, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Alison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Amanda Peet, Rob Corddry, Maya Randolph
Screening at the Sydney Film Festival on the 6th and 10th of June. Please see official website for more information on times, venues and tickets
Now showing at cinemas in the USA, opening in the UK on the 28th of August 2013
To be released in Australia on the 1st of August 2013

The Way, Way Back is the first comedy this year to really break the mould and produce something that is genuinely and effortlessly funny.

First time directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (who also star in the film) have written a wonderfully sweet and clever script that is truly hilarious.  The Way, Way Back is very entertaining and never dull with colourful performances and brilliant dialogue. It is intelligently funny, yet simplistic and uplifting in the way all feel good films should be.

We meet fourteen year old Duncan (Liam James) when he is on his way to the beach house which he will spend his summer at with his mother Pam (Toni Collette), Pam's boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrell) and his moody teenage daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Duncan struggles not to be awkward in the situation which he clearly feels uncomfortable in. He escapes his family by venturing to the town's water park and befriending owner, Owen (Sam Rockwell). In the water park, he finds a place where he can truly be happy and enjoy being himself.

This coming of age story is really one of a kind. It is not all smooth sailing and people get hurt and emotions shattered along the way. However, you still realise when leave the cinema that even though the world can bring you down, if you step outside your house there is a place out there where you can be yourself and find happiness with people who appreciate you for you. The Way, Way Back leaves you with a smile on your face and even though there are sad moments, you remember the film for the happy ones. It reminds you how there is still beauty in the world just outside your front door if you can't find it behind.

It is fantastic to finally see a comedy that relies so much on the dialogue. There are so funny antics, but the majority of the laughs come from what the characters say. Unlike many other comedies in this day and age, this film does not feel the need to use filth or sexual jokes as the basis for it's comedy. It is just good, clean comedy that is very witty and entertaining.

The majority of the laughs come from Sam Rockwell's Owen and Alison Janney who plays next door neighbour, Betty. As soon as Janney appears on the screen she starts prompting fits of laughter and Rockwell's comedic timing is amazing. These two are the two runaway stars of The Way, Way Back.

Liam James does well. He is so painfully awkward that you want to shake it out of him as his awkwardness gets to be a little too frustrating at times. Toni Collette is so very sweet and completely likable. You instantly start feeling sorry for her when things start to go haywire. It is very interesting seeing Steve Carell as the bad guy. No one would expect him to be the one in the film who has supplies next to no laughs. Yet, he still pulls it off well and is provokes dislike from the viewer, which is what he is expected to do.

AnnaSophia Robb is also right on the mark as Betty's daughter and Duncan's new found friend. She is also a very interesting character to watch. May Randolph plays water park employee, Caitlyn and has her fun moments too. Directors Faxon and Nash are also great in their roles, particularly Nash who is dryly hilarious.

The Way, Way Back's water park provides the perfect backdrop for this fun and entertaining film.  Like a waterslide, you come away smiling and thinking about how much fun you have just had.

8.5/10



On a side note.....
Movie Critical were able to attend the Australian premiere at the State Theatre for The Way, Way Back at the Sydney Film Festival last night. We were present on the red carpet to witness the beautiful Toni Collette arriving in style.


There was also a very special guest who surprised Collette on stage while she and festival director, Nashen Moodley were introducing the movie. Steve Carell, who was in Sydney for the premiere of Despicable Me 2 arrived just in time to introduce the film. It was an amazing start to the film, with the audience buzzing from seeing these two Hollywood superstars on stage.


You may have also seen Steve Carell in.....
Date Night as Phil Foster
Despicable Me as Gru 

You may have also seen Toni Collette in.....
Hitchcock as Peggy Robertson

You may have also seen Sam Rockwell in....
Iron Man 2 as Justin Hammer
Cowboys & Aliens as Doc
 
The 60th Sydney Film Festival runs from 5th-16th June 2013. Please see the official website for more information.

Hitchcock (2012)

Year: 2012

Director: Sacha Gervasi

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, James D’Arcy, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette

Before I begin my review…

Let me have a selfish moment, I was so, so excited about Hitchcock considering I am a HUGE Alfred Hitchcock fan.

HUGE as in the man is my all-time favourite director. In a time where something a little too different in a film was considered not risky but just plain wrong, Hitchcock was the only director who could try something different in his films and be considered an absolute genius. He embraced film as the art form that it is as well as wanting to completely enthral his audience.

Like all old Hollywood films, actors and directors, it upsets me how so many people these days are ignorant to his genius. They only know bits and pieces about the great man. As much as I love Psycho, there are a lot of people out there who have just heard about the movie and haven’t even seen it. Then they assume that Hitchcock was primarily a horror film maker as they just think of the Psycho shower scene. He was the master of suspense and yes, Psycho and The Birds are considered horror films, but the large majority of his film catalogue are categorised as mystery and thriller.

Take for example someone I once served when working in retail.

My co-worker: Are you a Hitchcock fan?

Myself: Yes, I am a Hitchcock fan

Customer: What, you're a fan of being scared?

Myself: I'm just a fan of good film making

(Customer gives blank look)

This conversation just proves to me that some people, who aren’t film crazy like myself, do not understand the true genius of Hitchcock, nor do they understand that he was one of the greatest film makers of all time and not just a horror film director.

And just because we are on the subject of Hitchcock, my top five Hitchcock films are Vertigo (James Stewart, Kim Novak), Rebecca (Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine), North By Northwest (Cary Grant, Eve Marie Saint), Rear Window(James Stewart, Grace Kelly) and Psycho (Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh), with Shadow Of A Doubt and Marnie.

Everybody is welcome to share their top five Hitchcock films in the comments section!

Review

Hitchcock allows the great man to be seen as never before behind the scenes of one of his greatest movies, Psycho.

For movie lovers, Hitchcock is extremely interesting as it gives you a behind the scenes look at Psycho, but also what happened when the cameras stopped rolling and Alfred Hitchock went home to his wife, Alma Reville. However, people who are not as enthralled with film and its history may find the film slow and lacking in the suspense department…maybe even a tad predictable. However, predictability is something that was always going to be hard to avoid with such a film about a film which is perhaps one of the most popular horror films ever made.

Alfred Hitchcock’s (Anthony Hopkins) latest film, North by Northwest has just opened and is a huge success, but Hitchcock knows that you are only as successful as your last film. He takes a chance on Psycho, the film Hollywood is afraid to touch and goes on his emotional journey of dealing with the censors and with his leading ladies. While when he leaves the set, he enters another emotional battlefield with his wife and uncredited business partner, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren).

Perhaps the biggest problem with Hitchcock, which may not even really be a problem, is that you always know where the movie is going. It is no secret that Psycho was a success when it was released in 1960 and still continues to be to this day, so this is really not a film of suspense about the master of suspense. Even Hitchcock’s relationship with his wife is fairly predictable.

 However, is this really a problem? The film does what it is supposed to be as it informs and entertains whether you know what is going to happen or not. It is great fun to watch and really is very interesting. Hitchcock fans in general will love the film and those who don’t know too much about him will find out plenty about him and about the production of Psycho.

The film is quite well made, although there are some interesting choices made by director, Sacha Gervasi. Gervasi has designed Hitchcock as though we are actually watching an Alfred Hitchcock film. He implies that Hitchcock’s mind actually did work like one of his films, as is shown in some of his scenes with Alma, especially with the scene in the kitchen. It does work well for the film and makes it a tad quirky, much like Hitchcock’s films. However, at times it does seem as though he is trying to do a little too much and trying to make it abstract in ways it doesn’t need to be. Once again, nobody can do Hitchcock like Hitchcock.

Yet, some of Gervasi’s choices of scenes in the film are a bit odd in that they seem out of place in the film and don’t seem to add to the film as a whole. For example, the scenes of Alma with the red bathing suit. You can see what Gervasi is trying to say, but it is already a point that has been made without needing to be pointed out once again.

The script, as written by John J. McLaughlin, is great. It covers every aspect of Hitchcock’s relationships and puts beautifully into words his fascination with his leading ladies. The banter between Hitchcock and Alma is also very entertaining.

There are some wonderful performances in Hitchcock. What can you say about Anthony Hopkins? With Hopkins you know you are never going to see a bad performance and this role proves his consistency. Hopkins has studied all of Hitchcock’s facial expressions, body language and speech and has it all perfected. He gives a wonderful performance and truly brings the man back to life.

Helen Mirren gives an absolute knockout performance. However, like Hopkins, Mirren is an actor who you just expect brilliance from. She gives an absolutely amazing monologue in the film when Hitchcock asks her for support which sends shivers down your spine.

What both Hopkins and Mirren have in this film, is the ability to tell so much about the way they are feeling without having to use words.

Scarlett Johansson gives an above average performance as Janet Leigh and again brings the actress back to life. Her recreation of the infamous shower scene is her absolute shining moment of the film. James D’Arcy is also a very convincing Anthony Perkins.

Hitchcock is a wonderfully informative and entertaining biopic with some brilliant performances. A must see for any old Hollywood and Hitchcock fanatics. Hopkins does the Alfred Hitchcock complete and utter justice.

7.5/10

References
The Internet Movie Database
She Knows