Certification. 12A
Running Time. 2 hours 20 mins
Director. Rian Johnson
Cast. Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, Daniel Craig, Kathryn Hahn, Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr.
Rating. 66%
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery sees the welcome return of Rian Johnson's Benoit Blanc, so memorably portrayed by Daniel Craig in the original Knives Out.
However, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery suffers at the hands of the success of its predecessor. This time around, the audience is very much anticipating a duplicitous murder mystery, complete with deceit, intrigue and twists and turns at every venture.
In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travels to a remote Greek island at the invitation of a reclusive technology mogul, Miles Bron (Edward Norton). The film cleverly uses the pandemic as a jumping-off point for the billionaire's murder mystery weekend. And an apathetic Blanc is only too happy to have been included, having spent much of the pandemic confined to his bathtub. Once again, Blanc serves primarily as an observer, with the plot revolving around the vacuous Bron and his invited guests.
The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast - joining Daniel Craig and Edward Norton are Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, Kathryn Hahn, Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe and Leslie Odom Jr. All adequately inherit their roles, but the stand-out performance is from Janelle Monáe. Initially understated and inconspicuous, but gradually her character emerges to reveal the most impressive performance in the entire film. Her chemistry with Daniel Craig is every bit as strong as Craig's was with Ana de Armas.
The initial set-up is elaborate and over-long, but the film finds its natural rhythm once a death finally takes place. The investigative element of the story comes to the fore and director Rian Johnson maintains a steady pace thereafter.
The director draws inspiration from the little-known 1970 whodunnit, The Last Of Shelia, to produce another intelligent murder mystery for modern times. Whereas Kenneth Branagh's Murder On The Orient Express and Death On The Nile are reworkings of Agatha Christie classics, Johnson's Knives Out franchise is very much a modern reimagination, aimed at making the genre hip once more. This is greatly aided by Jenny Eagan's wonderful costume design - the characters' wardrobe is delightful.
Whilst I may need to rewatch both Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery again before deciding how closely the second film measures up to the original, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is still an entertaining watch from start to finish. And one thing is certain - I'm far from losing interest in future Benoit Blanc adventures.
Comments
Post a Comment