Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (dir. Rian Johnson) is a murder-mystery film that follows famed detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), in his career after the events of Knives Out (2019). Though none of the other characters are the same, the centrality of Blanc’s character breeds cohesivity between the films.
In my opinion, there are two reasons that movies exist. Either they are a medium of self-expression or they are a way to entertain us. The latter of these two is almost certainly going draw thousands to the movies over the Thanksgiving break.
Knives Out immediately draws you into the mystery surrounding the death of wealthy author, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). You are there at the scene of the crime, the Thrombey estate, and immediately are shown the dead body. The location scouting and production design teams have to be given credit for their work. In the estate (the primary location throughout the film), the Thrombey family’s wealth is immaculately stated in every detail of the house; whether it be the excess of ridiculous objects, narrow hallways with many rooms, or the many paintings of Harlem himself, it’s clear. They are wealthy; part of the elite.
However, the stellar writing of writer/director Rian Johnson’s script clearly makes this family out to be spoiled and ridiculous, leading to some genuinely solid laughs from start to finish. However, Johnson interestingly takes an approach that completely undermines the conventions of the murder mystery genre. Johnson initially follows the tradition of giving us a motive for all the characters to kill him, but he pulls the rug from under you. Once that happens, the movie becomes something fresh. It’s unpredictable and will keep you on the edge of your seat with an atmosphere thick with tension and dialogue designed to keep us laughing.
The narrative juxtaposes three sides of this story: the family, the police, and, our main protagonist, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas). As with many films of this generation, there is clearly a social commentary in this movie. There are clear connections that Johnson makes between the contained story of the film and our present political climate. It’s not subtle at all, and the message is not revolutionary, but it leads to a great punch at the end that ultimately leaves you in a good mood.
Nothing needs to be said about say anything about acting in this film. The cast is star studded. Chris Evans. Daniel Craig. Toni Collette. Jamie Lee Curtis. Michael Shannon. Lakeith Stanfield. All of the performances here are solid. Ana de Armas in particular grounds the film with an excellent performance. It’s believable and has some genuine (albeit, limited) depth. Prior to Knives Out, she had never held a lead role in a major Hollywood film. Praise must be given for being able to give such a good performance among the powerhouse actors in the movie.
Overall, this whodunnit has excellent direction from a talented writer/director that continues to make great movies. Yes, you could wait to see the film when it comes out on digital, but you risk being stabbed in the back with spoilers. This is the type of movie that doesn’t come along that often. It’s an original story in a mostly underrepresented genre in today’s studio releases. It’s definitely worth multiple viewings when the chance presents itself.
4.5/5 STARS
“If you thought porgs were gonna be the most divisive part of the film, think again.”
Star Wars is without a doubt one of the most important franchises in cinematic history, creating some of the most iconic moments ever put to film and generating a loyal following spanning all demographics in the process. Through the last 9 theatrical releases, Star Wars has created an image for itself (both bad and good) among these fans, and with The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson aims to subvert the expectations they have come to know and love with something new, something unique, and something unexpected. However, in that pursuit, Johnson has created a prequel-level division among fans that is so wide and deep that Episode 8 is arguably the most controversial film in the series.
So as if the internet reached out and asked for another hot take on the film, I am here to offer up my review and layout the good, the bad, and the ugly of The Last Jedi, and why it is ultimately a very frustrating movie that ends up crafting a few redeemable moments. This review will be spoiler free, but if you want a further, spoilerific explanation, there will be one at the end.
The Last Jedi as a whole is the victim of a thousand cuts: no one particular issue is that bad on its own, but when combined with a flurry of them, they end up degrading the overall experience. The narrative choices, use of humor, and characterizations are what really did the film in, and these flaws linger and brand the film.
Of these problems, the ill-timed and poorly executed humor is the most problematic. When scenes should have weight and meaning, a joke is thrown right in the middle. When a character is conditioned to act a certain way, they say something out of character. A moment like this happens every 15-25 minutes in The Last Jedi, so whenever the film started to earn my trust back, it goes and does something off-putting. Upon second viewing, the humor works a little bit better, but important scenes are still tainted. That is to not say there isn’t humor that works; Chewbacca and BB-8 have great moments based on humor that work within the context of their characters without disrupting the scene or the momentum of the film.
Which leads into the next prevalent problem with The Last Jedi: how it treats its characters. Whether it be problematic characterizations or formless arcs, the way in which the film handles characters ranges from useless to meaningful. All the main characters get their own unique arc, but most feel unrealized and unfulfilled. The ones that work the best are Kylo Ren’s and Luke’s (albeit a very different Luke than we have come to know and love which most people, including Mark Hamil himself, have issue with, but I found to be the best in the entire film), and the ones that fail are Poe’s and Fin’s, while Rey’s is good if not ever so slightly flawed. There is a lot of arcs going on in this film, that Johnson should be commended (even if Fin and Poe’s arcs are subject to a plot hole 12 parsecs wide), but with it, some characters such as Snoke and Captain Phasma get shortchanged in the process, which is also problematic considering how much promise they had coming out of The Force Awakens.
With all the problems in the film, it’s safe to say that the final act is great. In fact, it’s downright iconic at times. You will need to accept everything that came before it for what it’s worth, but doing so will yield some extremely redeemable moments. The set piece’s choreography flows so well when it goes unbroken with subplots or character arcs, concluding in a very succinct manner that drives home ideas of identity, purpose, and hope within the narrative. You will be on the edge of your seat, you will be surprised, and perhaps you will even shed a tear. The end provides such a clear path for the future of the franchise and gives hope for the conclusion of the trilogy. It’s just a shame that the first two-thirds are as problematic as they are. Oh, and the porgs are great; ten out of ten on the scale of humor, cuteness, and merchandisability.
Overall, your mileage for The Last Jedi will depend on how well all of these changes jive with you. If you’re on board with all the plot twists, subversions, and narrative choices, then you will enjoy this movie. The film takes risks with an established franchise, and it has undeniable problems because of it, but in conversation I’ve heard people who have had no problem with the criticisms I laid out above. The division that is plaguing the internet stems from whether or not you’re willing to accept these decisions and take them as the new face of the franchise. For those who don’t, prepare to be disappointed. For those that do, get ready to enjoy the ride.
SCORE: 3/5 STARS
The following section contains spoilers and elaborates on points in the review. You’ve been warned!
