TIFF: Knives Out (2019)
It is no surprise that Rian Johnson enjoys his genre films, particularly those involving mysteries, twists and intricate plots. We have already seen him tackle classic noir with Brick and the big con with The Brothers Bloom, and with this year's Knives Out he moves on to an even older mystery genre - the detective caper. Like Brick did for Raymond Chandler, Knives Out is a contemporary retelling of a Christie or Conan Doyle story involving a high profile death, a cast of exaggerated characters - each with an intriguing backstory rife with possible motive - and, of course, a renowned detective. For the most part Johnson hits all of the right notes with this film, although the back half tends to meander more and loses some of its momentum as the plot focuses down on only a few of the characters as well as some long-winded exposition and explanation that guides the final moments.
There is a lot to enjoy with Knives Out. As many have seen in trailer or poster, the film boasts an overly remarkable ensemble cast and it is clear that all had a great time playing up their uniquely deranged characters. There really is no standout here as each is entertaining in their own way, though Daniel Craig as PI Benoit Blanc, Toni Collette as the daughter-in-law and 'lifestyle guru', and Christopher Plummer as the fateful victim and patriarch of the family were particular favourites of mine. The film generally plays out fast and comedic; it never plays itself too seriously and there are plenty of laughs throughout. In this, the film creates its own parodical subset of the genre which some may ultimately not like if they were looking for a more classically-derived detective story. As I mentioned, I found that the film lost a bit of its charm in its latter half as the mystery begins to focus in on only a few of the characters and family members, followed by the genre's classic final exposition as to what really happened, which, here, ends up being rather convoluted and not-so compelling.
Nevertheless, Knives Out is a fun romp and a good popcorn flick for a night out when you want to go to the theatre and see something but can't find anything overly enticing. The chemistry between the cast and the tight script filled with laughs makes for a winning combination and I only wish that the great momentum that the film starts with carried through to its end.
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