Knives Out (2019)

For writer/director Rian Johnson, his 2018 take on the massive 'Star Wars' franchise has led to many an angry tweet, e-mail, and (figuratively of course) knives pointed in his direction. Thankfully, 'Knives Out' delivers a much better outing and shows the man's true talent lies in his own personal creations. 'Knives Out' was like the sweetest desert to a person like myself, one who absolutely adores a good murder mystery from Sherlock to Christie which are both honored and cleverly given homage here. Daniel Craig is the film's Poirot and his performance is deeply engaging and very funny. The cast as a whole does an excellent job here, but really the film's main focus is Craig and the young nurse Marta played by Ana de Armas who provides the emotional core of the story and brings many of the puzzle pieces together by the end. Another standout would be Chris Evans, returning to the screen after his big finale to the Marvel Universe playing the polar opposite as a spoiled rude and unlikable brat. You can feel it in his performance that Evans is enjoying every minute of this role and it's nice to see such a fun contrast.

The film is well shot and edited as you'd expect with lavish set design and silky smooth camera work, while the editing is done in your classic whodunnit style filled with many flashbacks and scenes shown from various aspects between the large cast. While nothing too special, it's well done all the same and it actually outshines the recent 'Orient Express' adaptation by having a more coherent narrative and a much shorter running time. Where 'Knives Out' kind of faltered for me was many of the film's jabs at political commentary and gags. I've heard many say this is the most clever aspect of the film or that it's very sly and witty but for me personally they felt rather blunt when it came to mocking Republicans, the wealthy, or Trump supporters. No matter what affiliation you may be, 'Knives Out' just isn't funny or original with these themes. It isn't clever to say a Republican is a Nazi it's just become a lazy gag at this point and Johnson is more talented than that. Meanwhile, the rest of the film's humor is excellent with Craig's quirks to Chris Evan's smart-ass remarks and overall the comedy does work I just saw flaws where others didn't I guess.

So can I recommend 'Knives Out'? Yes I can, it's one of the best films this year but I would go in with an open mind and temper expectations a tad. It has become a problem of late that sites such as Rotten Tomatoes have become a part of a film's marketing and when you see that big red 99% positive reviews, one can tend to be let down in the end. It is an excellent film that shows Johnson's talent but near perfect? I wouldn't go that far.

A