As good as it gets

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2019)

85 year old Harlan Thrombey, a hugely successful novelist. Has brought the family together in order to deliver bad news about his will. He is found the next morning with his throat cut and it appears to be suicide. But with so much motive around, who knows. There is also the mystery of who hired private investigator Benoit Blanc and why. And is Harlan's weet carer Marta all she seems? Might she not have a secret?
This darkly funny who-dun-what is brilliantly cast and acted. But the writing and direction is stellar, too, so the fantastic cast just puts the cream on top. The plot appears simple, but is very well conceived - you think you should know what's going on, but you never quite do.
And I must give all credit to Rian Johnson, a man I was perfectly willing to hate for the rest of my life for the way he wilfully scorned his audience in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But his writing and direction here have redeemed him in my eyes. If there is a flaw in this film, it is Daniel Craig's excessively fruity southern accent. In all other respects this film is nearly perfect.