I've been a huge fan of Rian Johnson since the Brick days...

Rating: 9/10 (6 February 2020)

...and was pleased after the bashing he got from the vitriolic, entitled wing of the Star Wars ManBaby fanbase, that he bounced back with an original little indie, to much critical acclaim.
It starts slow and not very engaging but it picks up immediately when the true central conceit of the film, and probably the reason why it's so vibrant and resonates with critics so much, comes to light. Ana de Armas has a key role, not shown in the trailers, and the film seems nestled half way between a retro Agatha Christie and a really really good modern TV series. It's nice to see a low-fi, subtle picture that allows its characters and dialogue and self knowledge if its genre to delight instead of effects and whizzbang.
I have to say I bumped it down half a star (or maybe even a full star) because Haymarket's Odeon is horrendous, the screen tiny, dark and cloudy, the audio tinny and plonked all over the place. It's a shame that bad projection can tarnish an experience but it did. However I'm really really looking forward to watching it again at home and that counts for something in this one-and-done age of viewing films.
The film is enjoyable and dark and funny and fresh. It's not astounding, but it plays very cleverly within its genre and with its audience but it never lambasts or lampoons them, it says something important about privilege and entitlement but doesn't cram it down your throat.
Daniel Craig is excellent, clearly he's sick of playing damaged, dour, anti-role models and is acting up a storm and we're all loving it too. It's not a smug film, it's lovingly cheap feeling and tangible, and it's got some genuine standout callbacks and moments in it that will be remembered in film annals for a long time.
A compliment in many ways to TV's Succession, a timely and exceedingly welcome joyride.