Entertaining Whodunit

Rating: 8/10 (29 November 2019)

I enjoyed this film from start to finish. It has enough twists and turns to make Agatha Christie proud. A family patriarch worth millions - ironically, from his outrageously successful mystery novels - dies in his huge country mansion following his eighty-fifth birthday party. Although it appears to be suicide, a world-famous detective who arrives on the scene isn't so sure.
There are certainly plenty of suspects - his voraciously greedy family members have been sponging off him for years, and live in constant fear of being cut out of his will. Added to the mix is his young, sweet-natured nurse, who is the one person in the household he genuinely likes.
What went down that night is revealed before the movie is halfway through - but is it the whole story? The detective (played with a Southern accent of indeterminate origin by Daniel Craig) and the nurse team up to unravel the old gentleman's death. But can either one of them trust the other?
A sterling cast is in fine form - Jamie Lee Curtis as the victim's daughter swanning about the huge house, the incomparable Toni Colette as his widowed daughter-in-law and self-help guru, Don Johnson as the blustering son-in-law, Chris Evans playing against type as the smarmy grandson, and numerous others. Cast standouts are Craig and Ana de Armas, who shines in the part of Marta, the pretty nurse.
There are humorous moments, but don't expect big laughs. Try to count the number of different South American nationalities ascribed to immigrant nurse Marta by this phony bunch as they keep insisting she's "one of the family"....I'm not sure if they ever got the right one. There are a few pointed references to the social and political culture we live in as well.
A very well-done movie, with the most natural-sounding dialogue I've heard in modern films - nearly all the characters talk like "real" people, with a singular lack of artifice. And I appreciated the fact that the gorgeous gothic mansion in its parklike setting is in itself one of the film's most outstanding characters. Its interiors must be seen to be believed.
All in all,a highly enjoyable experience; I recommend it.