'Knives Out' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Screenplay.

Synopsis: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

Runtime: 130 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material)

Who should see it? Fans of whodunnits and murder mysteries.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out is an ode to the work of Agatha Christie set amidst today's contentious political climate. A Thanksgiving release is quite fitting considering the volatile nature of family get-togethers, so once you finish scarfing down turkey this Thursday, visit your local multiplex to solve a uniquely entertaining murder mystery. Knives Out offers all the fun of Clue without the insufferable board-game bickering. 

Johnson kicks things off by thrusting viewers straight into the scene of the crime. He then efficiently characterizes the members of the Thrombey family while establishing each of their potential motives through a series of police interviews seamlessly strung together by editor Bob Ducsay. The board has been set with an audience understanding of the prime suspects, and we're only fifteen minutes in. An elaborate unwinding of truth and justice follows closely behind. In the search for a killer, Johnson deceptively tinkers with the truth. When the family members lie, he ensures the audience remains sure of the facts rather than steering them away to elude suspicion. However, there's undoubtedly a sleight of hand at play behind the camera as Johnson shifts your focus from figuring out whodunnit to more pressing matters. 

As a result, the narrative of Knives Out is wildly unpredictable since each twist changes the course of the story and, by extension, the mystery. On second viewing, I noticed that Johnson drops clues without calling direct attention to them. The hints may be disguised as an innocent joke or irrelevant happenstance, but, as any detective knows, every detail matters. Contributions from Johnson's frequent collaborators further fortify his efforts in the form of Steve Yedlin's stately cinematography and an engrossing score composed by Rian's cousin Nathan Johnson. Not to mention, superb work from production designer David Crank, as the Thrombey mansion provides an intricate, embellished setting for the sleuthing shenanigans. At the center of it all, Johnson's sharp screenplay leads audiences down a winding path of absurdity, animosity, and intrigue that amounts to one of the year's most entertaining moviegoing experiences. 

Heading the star-studded cast, Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig are the two breakthrough performers. De Armas continues to impress while Craig's clearly having the time of his life as renowned detective Benoit Blanc, hamming things up with his Southern drawl and kooky disposition. The shared moments between their characters tend to be among the film's best, though the eccentric personalities in the Thrombey family give them a run for their money. 

Comprised of veteran actors and up-and-comers, the A-list ensemble assuredly inhabits their roles of entitled A-holes and make the most of every morsel Johnson sends their way. This includes the likes of Christopher Plummer, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Jaeden Martell, and Katherine Langford, who each relish in the Thrombey family's argumentative nature and distinct attributes. On the other side of the investigation, LaKeith Stanfield and Nathan Segan portray an amusing pair of police officers dead set on closing this peculiar case. 

Gripping murder mysteries don't reveal themselves too often, but Knives Out is guilty as charged. To no surprise, Rian Johnson's dunnit again! One can only hope it's successful enough to warrant further exploits with Detective Blanc.

Film Assessment: A

'All the Money in the World' Review

Nominated For: Best Supporting Actor; Christopher Plummer.

All the Money in the World briefs audiences on the kidnapping of sixteen year old John Paul Getty III in July 1973 and his distraught mother's desperate attempt to convince the boy's wealthy grandfather J. Paul Getty to pay the ransom. Getty refuses and enlists former federal agent Fletcher Chase to find out what's happened to his grandson, so Chase and Gail Harris wind up in an unexpected alliance as they strive to rescue the boy by any means necessary. 

You may or may not have heard about all of All the Money in the World's behind the scenes drama, but after sexual harassment allegations arose surrounding Kevin Spacey, the decision was made to remove Spacey from the film, reshoot all his scenes with Christopher Plummer replacing him as Getty, and release the film as scheduled. While I'm not sure the decision to remove Spacey affected the finished product all too much, it paid off thanks to the wonderful work from director Ridley Scott and actor Christopher Plummer. By the way, it's not like Scott and his crew just reshot a couple scenes considering Getty is in a substantial amount of the film... The fact they did it all in two weeks AND managed to release the films a few weeks later is absolutely astounding to me.

However, I must be completely honest in saying that otherwise I wasn't very impressed. There are a few exceptions to that statement of course, but don't be fooled into thinking All the Money in the World is truly one of the year's best films simply because they seamlessly subbed out Spacey... Ridley Scott is a director whom I especially admire for creating such fantastic films as Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian, but All the Money in the World lacks the director's unique style to differentiate it from any other bio-pic out there. Scott utilizes a desaturated color scheme that was terribly tiring to look at, and I'm honestly surprised it didn't put me to sleep when contemplating the film is also built around a dialogue-heavy screenplay. On the whole, the film's competently made, but it's a little long so the pacing drags and you start to realize this story may not have been meant for the film medium.

David Scarpa adapts John Pearson's book and still comes out short-changed after dramatizing things. What confounds me most though is how fascinating the story seems, yet how underwhelming Scarpa's script managed to be. The film's quite dialogue heavy, which is fine if the things said come across as interesting in execution, but there are large stretches that are boring or commonplace. There's unique elements in the kidnapping, but viewers are mostly left watching Harris wait for clues to find her son or beg Getty to pay the ransom, and that gets quite taxing after awhile. 

On the flip side of that coin, All the Money in the World features some fine performances. Michelle Williams brings both strength and vulnerability to the role of Gail Harris, shining as a determined mother against adversity. She's worried, but never frantic. Committed, but never unwavering. Williams discovers an effective balance between the extremes and ensures all her moments count so her acting prowess doesn't go unnoticed. Charlie Plummer (who is not related to Christopher Plummer) does well playing John Paul Getty III as a disparaged captive, while French actor Romain Duris imbues an unexpected humanity and warmth as the kid's captor, Cinquanta.

Elsewhere, Mark Wahlberg just kind of acts as an extension of himself and Christopher Plummer takes charge as J. Paul Getty. I never really saw much of Spacey from the trailers, but I think Plummer's the better casting choice. For one, it's age-appropriate casting (a rarity these days) and I didn't have to watch Kevin Spacey act with a peculiar facial prosthesis. Secondly, Plummer is commanding in the role. Plummer plays the cold, distanced, stingy old man perfectly. I'm not entirely sure how Spacey would have performed, but I'm kind of glad that the decision to remove him was made. I can only imagine how the scandal would have loomed over the film...

While I'm impressed by the peak performances and Ridley Scott's ability to reshoot a substantial amount of the film in about two weeks, All the Money in the World didn't have much else going for it to earn my interest. If you want my two cents, All the Money in the World isn't worth all the attention in the world. 

Film Assessment: C+