So, to start out, I first heard about this film from a critic I have learned to trust. And I was immediately turned off when he said that big chunks of the film are driven by a fake-out twist that isn't nearly as clever as the film thinks it is. I only went to see it at all because I wanted to take my brother, my grandfather, and several friends I'd reunited with for the holidays out to the movies, and when Ford v. Ferrari had left theaters this was the one everyone agreed they wanted to see.
I should've listened harder when that critic ultimately recommended it.
Now, to be clear, that fake-out twist is there, and it isn't as clever as the film thinks it is, but neither it nor other attempts to be cute (Oh man! A murder mystery writer murdered in a way straight out of a murder mystery! Columbo totally didn't do that... decades ago... twice.) have that intolerable, overpowering whiff of smugness I often get from other media that isn't as clever as it thinks it's being.
It does a good job of presenting the typical whodunnit dysfunctional family cast, but unlike some others in the genre (Crooked House, which shares more than a little with this film, springs to mind), their portrayal, while merciless, is also almost affectionate rather than purely cutting. And while it does get a bit more topical and a bit less timeless than I'd like, it at least skillfully uses these things to establish characterization rather than to "just" score relevancy points. Plus, the script pops with wit and actual cleverness throughout, with actually rather funny lines and subtle details that enhance characterization.
Oh, and the nuts-and-bolts filmmaking is excellent. A great cast of great actors who all "get" their eccentric characters very well, and a number of subtle cinematographic touches that pay close attention to mood and atmosphere. I don't know why Daniel Craig loves doing Southern accents so much, but at least he can actually act while affecting one.
Furthermore, that fake-out twist actually conceals the fairly clever mystery underneath. I was able to figure out the culprit and some parts of the ongoing events (at least partly through knowledge of the genre rather than clues on-screen, though also with clues on-screen) just by watching and thinking before film's end, but when the parlor scene hit, there were a number of smart details that lined up I realized I'd missed.
I guess that's why I will heartily recommend the film without reservation. Because it's not unbearably smug when it's trying and failing to be clever, and it's incredibly entertaining when it's just actually being clever.
A hearty recommendation
So, to start out, I first heard about this film from a critic I have learned to trust. And I was immediately turned off when he said that big chunks of the film are driven by a fake-out twist that isn't nearly as clever as the film thinks it is. I only went to see it at all because I wanted to take my brother, my grandfather, and several friends I'd reunited with for the holidays out to the movies, and when Ford v. Ferrari had left theaters this was the one everyone agreed they wanted to see.
I should've listened harder when that critic ultimately recommended it.
Now, to be clear, that fake-out twist is there, and it isn't as clever as the film thinks it is, but neither it nor other attempts to be cute (Oh man! A murder mystery writer murdered in a way straight out of a murder mystery! Columbo totally didn't do that... decades ago... twice.) have that intolerable, overpowering whiff of smugness I often get from other media that isn't as clever as it thinks it's being.
It does a good job of presenting the typical whodunnit dysfunctional family cast, but unlike some others in the genre (Crooked House, which shares more than a little with this film, springs to mind), their portrayal, while merciless, is also almost affectionate rather than purely cutting. And while it does get a bit more topical and a bit less timeless than I'd like, it at least skillfully uses these things to establish characterization rather than to "just" score relevancy points. Plus, the script pops with wit and actual cleverness throughout, with actually rather funny lines and subtle details that enhance characterization.
Oh, and the nuts-and-bolts filmmaking is excellent. A great cast of great actors who all "get" their eccentric characters very well, and a number of subtle cinematographic touches that pay close attention to mood and atmosphere. I don't know why Daniel Craig loves doing Southern accents so much, but at least he can actually act while affecting one.
Furthermore, that fake-out twist actually conceals the fairly clever mystery underneath. I was able to figure out the culprit and some parts of the ongoing events (at least partly through knowledge of the genre rather than clues on-screen, though also with clues on-screen) just by watching and thinking before film's end, but when the parlor scene hit, there were a number of smart details that lined up I realized I'd missed.
I guess that's why I will heartily recommend the film without reservation. Because it's not unbearably smug when it's trying and failing to be clever, and it's incredibly entertaining when it's just actually being clever.