Knives Out: Daniel Craig Unleashed (Review)
Rian Johnson pays homage to Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries in a joyful and ultra-sophisticated film.
Famous crime writer Harlan Thrombey is found dead in his sumptuous property on the evening of his 85th birthday. With a sharp mind and a good-natured demeanor, detective Benoit Blanc is then hired by an anonymous sponsor to elucidate the case. But between Harlan's family who are tearing each other apart and his staff who remain devoted to him, Blanc plunges into the twists and turns of an eventful investigation, mixing lies and false leads, where the twists and turns follow one another at a frantic pace until at the very last minute.
Released at the end of 2019 in cinemas, At loggerheads was an excellent surprise. Netflix also believed so much in this “whodunit” by Rian Johnson in which an unemployed Daniel Craig leads the investigation, which the platform has hired the duo at a high price to turn two new shutters.
Glass Onionthe direct sequel but this time taking place on the private island of a tech billionaire, has once again sparked, and the director is currently working on the scenario of n°3which could, if all goes well, turn around this year.
At a time when TF1 plans to rebroadcast the first part on Sunday evening, we cannot resist the urge to recommend it to you: if you like Agatha Christie-style criminal investigations, sprinkled with a well-felt satire of American society, this film is made for you!
From The 8 Bastards and the remake of Crime on the Orient Express by Kenneth Branagh, it seems that the “Cluedo movie” is back in fashion. A strange genre, with slightly vague contours (its representatives range from Bloodhound has Eight Women) and of which we do not even know the name (whodunit ? murder mystery ?). We just know that, from afar, he smells like polish and a parade of famous actors in Christmas sweaters.
Good news: the film by Rian Johnson (who needed to recharge his batteries after having alienated half the world's population because of his Star Wars unloved, The Last Jedi) is much more devious and fun than that. It is about the mysterious death of a famous author of detective novels and the investigation of a super detective by the surname of Benoît Blanc (Daniel Craig, quite brilliant as a southern Hercule Poirot), in search of the assassin who hides in the ranks of the crazy family of the dead man.
The mechanics of the suspense are diabolical, but what is most impressive is the sophisticated and aerial way in which Johnson “twist” the codes of the genre, like that, just for fun. The story is told through the eyes of the victim's nurse (extraordinary Ana de Armas), prompting us to see this game of massacre as a satire of Trumpist America, withdrawn on itself, on the verge of collapse. implosion. But even this political metaphor, which could weigh three tons, is light as a feather. Ultimate proof of the elegance of a crowd pleaser great style, vibrant with an irresistible iconoclastic energy.
10 pop references from Glass Onion: The Beatles, Tom Cruise, Lana del Rey…
