Double Review Spectacular - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Knives Out
All of a sudden, 2019 has started pulling through and delivering some absolutely knockout movies. So great are they that I have simply had no choice other than to bust out a double review spectacular for the first time in a long time. We'll get to Knives Out a little bit later but now, it seems like it's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (upsettingly spelt the American way but we'll get over that) has been framed as a story about beloved children's presenter Mr Rogers. He isn't as much of a big deal in the UK but for those who want to learn more, there was an absolutely delightful documentary that came out last year called Won't You Be My Neighbor? which as well as being a good way of learning about Mr Rogers is an absolute sob fest because of how wholesome it is. Genuinely, if you're ever going through a tough time and have already seen Paddington 2 five times this week, it's a hell of a pick-me-up.
Like so many films these days, there's not really a bad performance in the film, although there are two stand out performers I'm going to focus on, after a quick mention of Chris Cooper who is, as ever, pretty damn good. The first is the most obvious, Tom Hanks as Mr Rogers. It's a role that just makes sense, even Mr Rogers' wife said so. One of the kindest TV presenters ever, played by one of the kindest actors ever. Kindness and general physical resemblance aside though, Hanks just nails the performance. A little like Jackie from a couple of years back, it's a performance that initially feels a little fabricated, yet you eventually feel perfectly at home with it, appropriate seeing as that's the exact reaction Lloyd approaches Rogers with. Whatever reservations you may have, it just damn works. The other brilliant performance in this film though comes from Matthew Rhys. I've seen him before in a handful of things (a list that apparently includes already forgotten films like The Post and Burnt) but he hasn't ever stood out before like he stands out to me here. As the surprise core of the film, he has a lot of work to do and is thankfully completely up to the task. For most of the film, he has to be a complete cynic and while a relatable position for someone as broken by the world as I am, Rhys manages to do so without ever coming off as unpleasant. Even in his worst moments, Rhys plays Lloyd as a man only ever a hug or a nice word away from being a genuinely wonderful guy and in less capable hands, that wouldn't have come through. It only makes me a little rueful that he will likely be passed over this awards season over the flashier role from Hanks, as both deserve equally large amounts of praise.
If you're in the UK, you still have to wait until January to enjoy this but wherever you are, whenever you'll be able to see this film, I heatily recommend it. I know I leaned a little into the weird stuff in that last paragraph but the point is that all the weirdness is presented in a film that is still completely accessible. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood may not be exactly what you expect but that's precisely what led me to adore it, meaning I simply have to give it a
From subversive delights to violent ends, let's indulge a little and get those Knives Out.
You have likely noticed that this poster is stuffed more than your average Thanksgiving turkey and so I will add now, for fear of missing someone out, that everyone in the Thrombey family is deliciously detestable. They are just the worst people alive, masquerading as people who are only pretty bad and watching them cross swords was one of the great joys of the film. Special notice goes to a very fun Jamie Lee Curtis (see, Psycho link again), a perfectly pathetic Michael Shannon and a Goopily Gwyneth Paltrow-esque Toni Collette, delivering a different yet equally strong carnival of horrors than what she brought to Hereditary. He flits in and out of the film but Chris Evans deserves praise too, for going from America's Ass to sleaze bag in the space of one very fun film. Two performances stand out though, admittedly because they get a deal more screen time than the other characters. First is Ana de Armas, who I think most people will recognise from Blade Runner 2049 (or at least, should recognise, because that movie was brill and shame on anyone who skipped it). Here, she plays a very different character, obvious because she isn't a hologram. She's the human core of this film and so while everyone around her is a real specimen acting out at their worst, she is just trying to get by without being lambasted for something she may or may not have done. Maybe it's all in the eyes, but there's just something about her and her performance that makes you trust her completely from that first moment, a vital burst of humanity in this film. My favourite of the bunch though is Daniel Craig, doing his second ridiculous American accent of the last few years as Benoit Blanc. He is just a delight. The accent is very silly (I place it as being from near Louisiana, but maybe it's from Croydon), making him essentially the American Poirot, with all the ups and downs that implies. He's clearly having a blast performing as a character who is so ridiculously southern he might as well be called Beignet Gumbo and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Knives Out is primarily a murder mystery and as I've already covered, it is ace at that because it's ace at everything it tries its hand at. The tonal balancing is some of the best of the year, blending comedy and tension as well as Parasite did, giving me plenty of "ooh, bloody hell, I'm leaning forward in my seat here" moments. Were the film just a great murder mystery with an awesome cast and captivating tone, I'd be happy but with all it chucks on top, it becomes one of the best films of the year. A huge theme of the film is what I would characterise as toxic white entitlement. Think the hideously awkward garden party scene of Get Out and you're on the right path (although for my money, Knives Out is far more effective). You may not understand until you see it but it really is a film about being the director of The Last Jedi and if you want to know what the hell I'm talking about with full spoilers, feel free to message me and ask. The actual construction of the film is top notch too though, specifically the house most of the film takes place in. Just with the first couple of shots in the film, I muttered to myself "That is an excellent house" and my feelings never changed really. It is the perfect setting for a murder mystery, perfectly captured. All of that is wrapped up in a killer score that I know I will be adding to my permanent rotation in good time. The work Nathan Johnson does on it creates a proper murder mystery vibe (handy that), amping up the mystery and tension when it needs to but perfectly happy for these contemptible people to stew in their own filthy gumbo for as long as it likes too.
What a superb week for cinema then, but oh we have more treats in store. Next week, (my university deadlines dependent) we'll be jumping in for another double bill review as we unpack two Netflix films that are already dominating awards season conversation. The fact that cinema this year may well peak in the last few weeks of 2019 fills me with joy, a joy I hope we share. What a time to be a film fan, eh?
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (upsettingly spelt the American way but we'll get over that) has been framed as a story about beloved children's presenter Mr Rogers. He isn't as much of a big deal in the UK but for those who want to learn more, there was an absolutely delightful documentary that came out last year called Won't You Be My Neighbor? which as well as being a good way of learning about Mr Rogers is an absolute sob fest because of how wholesome it is. Genuinely, if you're ever going through a tough time and have already seen Paddington 2 five times this week, it's a hell of a pick-me-up.
It delighted me early on and failed to ruin that sensation for the rest of the runtime.With that said though, A Beautiful Day is not really a film about Mr Rogers. Instead, it's a film (based on a true story) about a journalist called Lloyd Vogel. Lloyd has recently had a child, he's deeply cynical about the world and has a very bad relationship with his father that recently included a brawl at his sister's wedding. When his editor hands him a puff piece on Mr Rogers, he naturally couldn't give a shit. So, he goes to Pittsburgh where Mr Rogers films his show and slowly, over a series of interviews, his world opens up. Going into this film, what was immediately surprising to me is that, as I've mentioned, this is not a Mr Rogers biopic. Mr Rogers is an important character to the film, it conveys his messages and hope and it simply wouldn't work without him, but this is not just some vacuous biopic. If anything, this is more of a film about the audience than about Mr Rogers. I'll get more onto that subversiveness later but story wise, I think getting that realisation out of the way early made discovering the story much more fun. It's hardly revolutionary (I think you could guess many of the plot beats from my summary) but in eschewing the storytelling structure of your typical feel good biopic, it delighted me early on and failed to ruin that sensation for the rest of the runtime.
Like so many films these days, there's not really a bad performance in the film, although there are two stand out performers I'm going to focus on, after a quick mention of Chris Cooper who is, as ever, pretty damn good. The first is the most obvious, Tom Hanks as Mr Rogers. It's a role that just makes sense, even Mr Rogers' wife said so. One of the kindest TV presenters ever, played by one of the kindest actors ever. Kindness and general physical resemblance aside though, Hanks just nails the performance. A little like Jackie from a couple of years back, it's a performance that initially feels a little fabricated, yet you eventually feel perfectly at home with it, appropriate seeing as that's the exact reaction Lloyd approaches Rogers with. Whatever reservations you may have, it just damn works. The other brilliant performance in this film though comes from Matthew Rhys. I've seen him before in a handful of things (a list that apparently includes already forgotten films like The Post and Burnt) but he hasn't ever stood out before like he stands out to me here. As the surprise core of the film, he has a lot of work to do and is thankfully completely up to the task. For most of the film, he has to be a complete cynic and while a relatable position for someone as broken by the world as I am, Rhys manages to do so without ever coming off as unpleasant. Even in his worst moments, Rhys plays Lloyd as a man only ever a hug or a nice word away from being a genuinely wonderful guy and in less capable hands, that wouldn't have come through. It only makes me a little rueful that he will likely be passed over this awards season over the flashier role from Hanks, as both deserve equally large amounts of praise.
Marielle Heller and crew have managed to make what should have been a generic pleasure into a subversive delight.Beautiful Day is, as I've already established, a film full of surprises, but there were more yet to come for me in the film. Often with films, especially with films telling real life stories, I get frustrated and even bored when they slip into the same routine. Ironically, one such example of this is Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the last film from director Marielle Heller. It was fine, lifted up by two great central performances but it has slipped almost entirely from mind due to how bland it felt. Beautiful Day brushes away those fears very quickly. The next half paragraph will be difficult because I want to describe how oddly subversive this film is without explicitly stating what it actually does so please, bear with me. In the opening few minutes, you will make an assumption, an assumption you are making because of a formula we have in place. A door will be opened and suddenly, those assumptions will be completely exploded. After that, it'll make miniature subversions alongside grander ones and a couple of times, I felt like I was watching a film whose strangeness likely evoked Anger in the audience, not quite to the point of a Lynch mob I should note. It was that playful subversiveness I adored though. It reminded me of Hustlers a few months back, which had limited sound in one scene in a way that most blockbusters would never go near for fear of alienating the audience. I think what I'm trying to say is that Marielle Heller and crew have managed to make what should have been a generic pleasure into a subversive delight.
If you're in the UK, you still have to wait until January to enjoy this but wherever you are, whenever you'll be able to see this film, I heatily recommend it. I know I leaned a little into the weird stuff in that last paragraph but the point is that all the weirdness is presented in a film that is still completely accessible. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood may not be exactly what you expect but that's precisely what led me to adore it, meaning I simply have to give it a
From subversive delights to violent ends, let's indulge a little and get those Knives Out.
As Luke Skywalker warned us in The Last Jedi, "This is not going to go the way you think" and thank God for that.Rian Johnson is this up and coming film director, you probably haven't heard of him. He made films like Brick, The Brothers Bloom and some indie flick called Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Actually, now I mention it, you've probably heard of that last one, seeing as for the last two years it's been either the most hated film in the world or a daring film that challenged what Star Wars could be. Personally I think it's fine but the point is, Rian Johnson knows what it's like to have a target on his back, justified or not. In a strange way, he channels that into Knives Out, an Agatha Christie style who-dunnit about the patriarch of a very rich family, Harlan Thrombey. After his 85th birthday party, he is found with his throat slit and many red herrings swimming around, obfuscating our view. Brought in to clear the way and stir this exquisitely spicy pot of gumbo is Benoit Blanc, a gentleman detective who seems to be a wee bit of a doofus. This being a murder mystery, I can't say much more for fear of dismantling the mystery bit, but I can say I'm impressed. In what could very well have been a well done retread of familiar ground, Johnson pulls out a move I would honestly compare to Psycho (no, not in the way you're thinking). His play is daring and for the second act, you fear it may not prove to be worth it but that thrill of being suspended in mid-air is exhilarating and when the third act sweeps you back down to Earth, it's a giddy pleasure. As Luke Skywalker warned us in The Last Jedi, "This is not going to go the way you think" and thank God for that.
You have likely noticed that this poster is stuffed more than your average Thanksgiving turkey and so I will add now, for fear of missing someone out, that everyone in the Thrombey family is deliciously detestable. They are just the worst people alive, masquerading as people who are only pretty bad and watching them cross swords was one of the great joys of the film. Special notice goes to a very fun Jamie Lee Curtis (see, Psycho link again), a perfectly pathetic Michael Shannon and a Goopily Gwyneth Paltrow-esque Toni Collette, delivering a different yet equally strong carnival of horrors than what she brought to Hereditary. He flits in and out of the film but Chris Evans deserves praise too, for going from America's Ass to sleaze bag in the space of one very fun film. Two performances stand out though, admittedly because they get a deal more screen time than the other characters. First is Ana de Armas, who I think most people will recognise from Blade Runner 2049 (or at least, should recognise, because that movie was brill and shame on anyone who skipped it). Here, she plays a very different character, obvious because she isn't a hologram. She's the human core of this film and so while everyone around her is a real specimen acting out at their worst, she is just trying to get by without being lambasted for something she may or may not have done. Maybe it's all in the eyes, but there's just something about her and her performance that makes you trust her completely from that first moment, a vital burst of humanity in this film. My favourite of the bunch though is Daniel Craig, doing his second ridiculous American accent of the last few years as Benoit Blanc. He is just a delight. The accent is very silly (I place it as being from near Louisiana, but maybe it's from Croydon), making him essentially the American Poirot, with all the ups and downs that implies. He's clearly having a blast performing as a character who is so ridiculously southern he might as well be called Beignet Gumbo and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Knives Out is primarily a murder mystery and as I've already covered, it is ace at that because it's ace at everything it tries its hand at. The tonal balancing is some of the best of the year, blending comedy and tension as well as Parasite did, giving me plenty of "ooh, bloody hell, I'm leaning forward in my seat here" moments. Were the film just a great murder mystery with an awesome cast and captivating tone, I'd be happy but with all it chucks on top, it becomes one of the best films of the year. A huge theme of the film is what I would characterise as toxic white entitlement. Think the hideously awkward garden party scene of Get Out and you're on the right path (although for my money, Knives Out is far more effective). You may not understand until you see it but it really is a film about being the director of The Last Jedi and if you want to know what the hell I'm talking about with full spoilers, feel free to message me and ask. The actual construction of the film is top notch too though, specifically the house most of the film takes place in. Just with the first couple of shots in the film, I muttered to myself "That is an excellent house" and my feelings never changed really. It is the perfect setting for a murder mystery, perfectly captured. All of that is wrapped up in a killer score that I know I will be adding to my permanent rotation in good time. The work Nathan Johnson does on it creates a proper murder mystery vibe (handy that), amping up the mystery and tension when it needs to but perfectly happy for these contemptible people to stew in their own filthy gumbo for as long as it likes too.
It is a film that [...] feels hand tailored for meReviewing this film has been tricky for two reasons. First, I don't want to spoil it but also, it is a film that, like Bad Times at the El Royale was last year, feels hand tailored for me. It's funny, tense, is packed with scrumptious twists and entices me to come back for a rewatch already. If you see any film in cinemas at the moment (assuming that Parasite has either already played or is yet to play near you), then please, for the love of cinema, make it Knives Out, a film I am delighted to also give a
What a superb week for cinema then, but oh we have more treats in store. Next week, (my university deadlines dependent) we'll be jumping in for another double bill review as we unpack two Netflix films that are already dominating awards season conversation. The fact that cinema this year may well peak in the last few weeks of 2019 fills me with joy, a joy I hope we share. What a time to be a film fan, eh?
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