Knives Out Makes Cinema Fun Again
Yes, there’s the sweater.
Yes, there’s this cast: Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Michael Shannon, oh my!
And yes, it’s directed by Rian Johnson, who most recently made Star Wars fans froth at the mouths with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
So it wasn’t hard to say that there were high expectations for this film.
Regardless of that, Knives Out is great because it’s the definition of fun, pulpy, excitable films that makes the general public want to watch movies.
( Is that a dig on art house films? Maybe.)
Knives Out revolves around a dysfunctional family, who have to get together when their elderly father dies. It’s all very Clue mixed with Agatha Christie, where you have to find out who the murderer is.
Sounds kinda boring, but this is no serious Murder on the Orient Express.
The film is saturated with bright colours and set in an old creepy house, and filled with characters who are the definition of dramatic.
The production value here is beyond reproach. It’s a horror-mystery lover’s dream come true.
There’s an eerie self-portrait.
Statues that stare at you.
Stairs upon stairs.
Fireplaces with carpets.
Hidden entrances and exits.
Barking dogs.
Autumn gloominess.
Fancy cars and large fields on top of a hill.
Oh, and there’s also the aforementioned time of year, which means that everyone is dressed spectacularly because layering.
Ugh, I love how this film looks.
And the direction is A+++. I say this because the acting here complements the production to a T, and that’s not possible across the entire cast unless they’re directed well.
Everyone over-acts their ass off, and it is glorious. Jamie Lee Curtis could win an award just based on how she walks. Christopher Plummer should put this on his (already very long) resume. Chris Evans goes back to his pre-Captain American douche-bag roots ( you know I’m right; he has that face that has a 200% chance of breaking your heart), and is enjoying this so much that you can practically feel the excitement radiating off him.
Oh, and did we mention that Daniel Craig has, as a character says, a ‘Kentucky-Fried Accent’ in this film where his character’s name is Benoit Blanc?
It is completely ridiculous but works so well within this context.
Of course, this wouldn’t work without Ana de Armas, who is the only straight man in this piece. She just received a Golden Globe Nom for her performance, and justifiably so, for her ability in her pin-drop accuracy with which she managed to balance the high-intensity with the groundedness of this character.
Knives Out, after all, is not some high art piece.
It is a film that pays tribute to the frothy, pulpy murder mysteries, and it revels in its low-brow humour. However, it doesn’t ever treat the audience like they are idiots, or like they’re frat boys there for Paul Blart: Mall Cop 3. The humour is used for maximum impact, and not sprayed at random.
Knives Out was also one of the few films I saw recently where the cinema was filled to the brim. This is a fun family mysteries you can watch with your friends, your mom, your grandparents, your daughter…everyone.
(okay, maybe not your daughter, if she’s too young to handle cursing.)
The plot isn’t overly-complicated, but it does come with a couple of twists and turns, and the payoff is pretty damn sweet.
It makes you laugh, it makes you gasp, it makes you want to watch more movies. The overarching vibe I get from it is just an overwhelming love of movies and the audience who watches them.
Originally published at https://onereelatatime.org on December 11, 2019.
