Knives Out (2019) Review

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2020)

Going into 'Knives Out'; I was sceptical about a murder mystery including all these big names and from first glance, looked like it was just, going to be okay. In spite of my assumption - when the film finished; I was instantly on the phone to my girlfriend and couldn't stop saying "you have to watch this film!". She then replied by saying "that's nice honey (yawns)" and then put the phone down. We thankfully watched it together and Gala - my wonderful girlfriend, really enjoyed it.
We both loved the fact that it was a whodunit - bringing all the best elements of the genre and more. The way the narrative jumped around the basic foundation of a 'Agatha Christie type story' - had us second guessing every milestone and it was brilliant. I never knew what was round the corner of each clue - even if I thought I did. Everything was so clear but equally surprised me when something huge was revealed. It was both fun and tense - making Gala and I gasp at how amazingly well told the story was.
As well as its great story and inventive screenplay, written by Johnson, we loved all the themes - particularly its stance on class and immigration. These two motifs had a very big, but unexpected impact, making it slightly political without trying too hard to be an obvious statement - giving us something quite unique and subtle. These political arguments are woven in through the dialogue and characters in a way that really brings out each persona to everyone present, in this twisting tale.
All the performances are great - especially Daniel Craig's (Casino Royale) Benoit Blanc - with his unexpected Southern accent and humorous metaphors about donuts - putting a smile on our faces every time he walked onto set. Its hard to talk about all great performances and likably ironic characters, as they all have a part to play in this mystery solving adventure. However, Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) gave a great performance as well as seeing Chris Evans (Avengers: Endgame) back to his old school - 'jock persona'. You can see he has really come a long way, since his debut as Captain America in 'Marvel's' 'Captain America: The First Avenger'.
Even though this film has a big cast - I wasn't even conscious of the fact that they were all A'list actors. After the first ten minutes, I could honestly believe that they were all very real people such as; Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water) playing the creepy son of Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World) - also, Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) and Toni Collette (Hereditary); all played very different roles from previous appearances. Each and every one of their conversations were so engaging that you could really see what brilliant actors they all are. Each character ends up being able to show their true colours at some point in the film. When all of the craziness come to an end - theres a great message, relating back to the political undertone which was just as unanticipated as the whodunit reveal.
What also gave 'Knives Out' its particular feel was the amazing production and set design by David Crank (The Master) and David Schlesinger (John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum), for their wonderfully intricate attention to detail - amazing collection on weird and quirky antiques which really brought the house to life. It was like breathing through the mind of a old and eccentric explorer. As well, Jenny Eagan's (Beasts of No Nation) beautiful costume design just had me dazzled in all its aesthetically pleasing bright colours that brought a thirties vibe with a modern twist giving a balance between a contemporary thriller and a generic mystery.
'Knives Out' is a film I recommend very highly and is one of my favourite features of last year - if you are into a new spin on Christies' beloved classics and maybe need a break from Jessica Fletcher; this is the one for you. Exceptionally brilliant and daring!