Knives out: deconstructed

Movie: Knives Out Writer/Screenplay: Rian Johnson Director: Rian Johnson Main cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Christopher Plummer

Deconstruct meter: 8.5/10

It was in 2008 that I first heard and read the name Rian Johnson. I was watching this movie called The Brothers Bloom starring Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz and Mark Ruffalo. That same year saw the release of Marvel's Iron Man and The incredible Hulk. Yet, The Brothers Bloom was one of the best movies to be made that year. Ever since 2008, Rian Johnson's name has been synonymous with good cinema. It happened again with Looper in 2012 starring Joseph Gordon-Lewitt and Bruce Willis. Looper was path breaking in its own way. Rian Johnson has a definite way around a complex screenplay. And that's what I love the most about him and about Knives out. He writes his own movies and directs them. That's the best possible way to tell a story. And which is why, a movie such as Knives out having a rather straight forward plot becomes one of the best movies I've ever seen.

The screenplay is so tight it hardly lets you think. There are so many blink and miss moments that the anticipation is sky high throughout the duration of the playtime. Just wow!

What starts as a simple case of a gory suicide soon turns into a murder mystery. A patriarch of a flourishing business family, who himself is a bestselling crime author, commits suicide in their family house by slitting his throat open. Plain suicide. Enter Benoit Blanc. Rian Johnson's answer to Sherlock Holmes. And boy oh boy, Daniel Craig sure whips up a storm with his rendition of Blanc. Blanc is part Poirot, part Holmes. The southern accent used by Craig works wonders in the script and allows to add spontaneous and untimely humor during moments of tension.

A routine investigation begins and we are introduced to the idiosyncratic and hateful family of Harlan Thrombey. Harlan is the patriarch of the flourishing Thrombey family having multiple businesses of which everybody wants a pie. Christopher Plummer plays this one with relative ease. The ensemble which forms Harlan’s family includes names such as Chris Evans as Ransom, a grandson; Toni Collette as Joni, a daughter in law; Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda, the daughter and Michael Shannon as Walt, a son. Then there is Marta, Harlan’s nurse, played effortlessly by Ana De Armas. She has a peculiar condition; regurgitative reaction to mistruths (She pukes if she lies). I found this particular narrative very unique, because it adds to the humor throughout the screenplay, even in tense moments.

I wouldn’t want to divulge too many details as it’ll take away from the watching experience. But the ensemble and the characters and the way they’re directed makes Knives Out one of the best movies to be made in the mystery genre in a very long time. It’s great to see Chris Evans as a regular guy sans the Captain America tag and costume; with all the regular human vulnerabilities and aspirations. The dialogue has got to the highlight of the film. It’s so deliciously convoluted that you can’t help but smile. It is comic and sinister at the same time. Twisted yet simple at the same time.

The screenplay is very layered and detailed and there in absolutely nothing out of place. Though it may seem random, but it all fits into the narrative; eg; the opening scene where Benoit Blanc is introduced. He keeps playing a keynote from the piano randomly. It seems random at first but there is a rhythm. Spot it if you can. And Daniel Craig shines on with his perfect portrayal of a smart sleuth; Benoit Blanc. Good to see him doing something other than James Bond. Having said that, I can hardly wait for No time to Die. But that’s another thing.

Made on a modest budget of USD 40 Mn without promotions, it’s a hell of a movie. I was delighted to find the screen almost full even in the second week. That is indeed something for a non-superhero English flick releasing in India.

A superb screenplay, directed to perfection; Terrific casting; Brilliant character arcs and terrific performances highlighted by Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig make this a definite watch. Please watch it if you haven’t already. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable ride.