"The best crime mystery movie in recent time" ?

KNIVES OUT

Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman. Knives Out had its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7 and was theatrically released in the United States on November 27, 2019, by Lionsgate. 

PLOT:

Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy writer, is turning 85. His eclectic and eccentric family has become fragmented, but Harlan believes he can reunite them at his birthday. After the entire family gathers at his mansion to celebrate him, he is found dead the very next morning. When the police begin to investigate his death along with private investigator Benoit Blanc, (Daniel Craig), many family secrets come to light. There are now multiple murder suspects, and they must figure who is responsible for Harlan's death.

Inspired by the plethora of Agatha Christie novels, writer and director Rian Johnson knows how to stage a murder mystery. Put an affluent old man at loggerheads with his family. Make each member intriguing, and give them reasonable cause – revenge, greed, spite, or all the above. Throw in a peculiar detective to solve the case, and watch the mayhem unfold.

But Johnson isn’t content with the plot playing out in predictable ways. Instead, his characters are so mesmerising that you often get sidetracked, by design. After all, these aren’t just big-name actors; they’re all competent performers. Daniel Craig completely throws you off with a thick and heavy Southern accent that could quickly go over the top. But Craig knows how to reel it in, in a masterful performance. We’re used to seeing Chris Evans play a heroic persona, but this time he’s often despicable as Ransom Robinson. The underrated Toni Collette gives a unique take on Joni Thrombey, Harlan’s daughter-in-law. The resurgence of Jamie Lee Curtis’s career continues as Linda, Harlan’s eldest daughter. However, ‘Knives Out’ is probably going to be the breakthrough film for Ana de Armas with her impressive performance.

As with most ensemble casts, some actors don’t get as much screen time as they should, and the problem persists here. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say they all do their roles ample justice. That’s because the writing is outstanding, infused with a surprising amount of unexpected humour. While watching a murder mystery, everyone is trying to solve the case, but Rian Johnson will catch most of the audience off guard. He has created an extremely thrilling crime drama, that uses the collective skills of its excellent cast to great effect. ‘Knives Out’ makes a strong case as one of the best films of the year and a definitive murder mystery for the ages.

https://bitchingfilms.blogspot.com/2020/05/saddest-film-of-all-timethis-will-make.html

Daniel Craig is downright terrific as Benoit Blanc, a private detective with a bizarre accent and weird one-liners, hired by someone anonymous to dig deeper into the strange and sudden death of patriarch Harlan Thrombey. It looks like suicide, but literally, every greedy member of Harlan's bloodline had a motive for killing and - also in delightful Agatha Christie tradition - the plot even thickens after the reading of the will. It would be a shame to reveal too much about the plot, but rest assured that is refreshing and inventive, compelling as well as humorous, complex but simultaneously light-headed and 200% entertaining. The cast is phenomenal. Craig clearly enjoyed depicting a heroic protagonist that is the complete opposite of his James Bond character, and the Thrombey family exclusively exists of great talents, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Colette, Christopher Plummer and Don Johnson. "Knives Out" is perhaps slightly too long, but never tedious, and very well-directed by Rian Johnson (who honestly doesn't deserve all this hatred from disappointed "Star Wars" geeks)

“Knives Out” is one of the most purely entertaining films in years. It is the work of a cinematic magician, one who keeps you so focused on what the left hand is doing that you miss the right.  Directing a wildly charismatic cast who are all-in on what he’s doing, Johnson confidently stays a step or two ahead of his audience, leaving them breathless but satisfied at the end.


Bitching Films

“It's a weird case from the start. A case with a hole in the center. A doughnut.”
DANIEL CRAIG - Benoit Blanc