#knives out review

[bigtreefest]

Let’s talk about Knives Out

Spoilers below the cut

🔥🤤sweater daddy. I wish that was all I had to say. Well, it is, but it also very much isn’t.

1st Watch

After knowing what happens in the end, I had never liked Ransom (Chris Evans’s Character) until I went through with my second and third rewatch. So on my first watch, it was exciting because all the twists and turns really catch you by surprise. It’s such a wonder who would pull such an elaborate plan and why. Ransom is obviously awful. That’s why the dogs hate him. It’s such a sign of character. But for some reason, he’s helping Marta, and I loved it. He appeared so genuine and like he was really trying to find the best way to help her. Benoit Blanc’s accent is also hilarious and so is the fact that none of them really care to know where Marta’s from.

The dogs love Linda and Linda is honestly not that terrible of a person when it comes to everyone else. She actually loved her father as seen by the way they shared notes, but idk. Everyone’s flawed and she still expected money and inheritance

2nd Watch

I started to pick up on the symbolism and more details of the movie. Chris Evans looks even better in his sweaters. But if you look closely, they’ve got tears and holes. What does this mean? But the sweater is nice before Harlan dies. Does this mean Ransom looks nice on the surface, but if you look deeper, something’s wrong? Does this mean he started to crumble after Harlan’s death? They also bring up the fact that Marta is the only one who beat Harlan at ‘Go’ more than Ransom. Does this mean that if Marta weren’t around, Ransom would’ve gotten the inheritance? Or would he have been cut off like everyone else still? Or, does this mean that Marta was a better strategist. Even though Ransom did a lot of the work, she took the final step in lying in order to get him to confess to murder. Also, Meg on that phone call? Was she really apologetic or was she trying to get that money?? And why didn’t Harlan keep paying her tuition, it was her mom’s fault. But I guess she was technically a mooch like everyone else.

And obviously there’s the fact that everyone lies to Marta about wanting her at the funeral. Don’t lie to save face, you couldn’t have all gotten outvoted.

3rd watch

I’ve fallen in love with Chris Evans as Ransom even more, not just because of the sweaters, but because in this time, I read some really good fanfics that redeemed him. The movie is cast so perfectly and I love the subtleties. Plus, I’ve always had a little bit of a thing for guys who are awful for me if they’re hot (it’s a fatal flaw, I know, I’m working on it, but can you blame me?). Ransom is so smart, and it’s a shame he uses it for evil because he was so close. Anyway, let’s talk about alcoholic beverages. My investigation into this started because I wanted to know the mixed drink Ransom ordered at the bar (which which I still haven’t figured out yet, but I think it was a Manhattan?)

Look at the alcohol in the movie, though. The whole family is always luxuriously drinking scotch or champagne. Ransom, on the other hand, orders craft beer at the bar with Marta, which separates him from his family, but hopefully makes him seem more relatable to her. Even tho craft beer is the rich man’s beer lowkey. Then, he uses a large bottle for set fire to the Medical Examiner’s office. This whole time, we don’t see Marta drink at all, which separates her from the family. Not to mention, Ransom builds a literal wall of beer bottles between the two of them at the restaurant, showing physical separation despite his offer of assistance. The bottles are also apparently in one of the positions of ‘Go’ called Atari. This is an attack position, meaning Ransom thinks he has the high ground. Incorrect. This is all just a posed by the separation we see at the end of the movie where Marta is looking down at them on the balcony while they all look up at her, once again separated but the tables have turned.

Overall, a great movie and a great look for Chris Evans. The costume designers and casting directors knew what they were doing. As much as I hate to say it, I WOULD NOT have been immune to Ransom’s charms.

Sources cited:

Drinks Meaing

Go Atari Reddit Post

Good Casting

Gifs

[thecynicalcinephile]

So, About Glass Onion - A Knives Out Story,

Rian Johnson does it again, delivering a thoroughly engrossing follow-up adventure for the new ambiguously-southern world's greatest detective.

As before, here we have a very tight script matched with highly believable acting, and Daniel Craig clearly enjoying himself and giving his all in every scene.

Accompanying these delicious performances is a healthy dose of mockery towards the one percent, specifically Elon Musk, which is always enjoyable considering his recent antics. It's always refreshing to see such people openly mocked in the media, given how deeply embedded the "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" narrative seems to be in our culture.

The twists and turns will keep you guessing at every moment, all the while the incredible cinematography and set design provides a practical feast for the eyes without seeming excessive.

The one fault with this film is that, in order to keep you guessing, the film's twists involve deliberately misrepresenting numerous scenes in a way that is deliberately misleading. And I don't mean that in the usual murder mystery way, I mean the version of the scene that we initially see is very different from the version that our detective sees. Granted, all is revealed to us eventually, and this is ultimately something of a nitpick, but some people might object to this rather convoluted way of doing things.

There is another fact worth noting, though whether it is good or bad is a matter of debate, that being that if you understand the title you'll see the ending coming a mile away.

As far as myseries go, this is completely entertaining. I look forward to seeing more stories in the Knives Out universe, as this new entry into the vast genre of genius detectives develops.

[gurrenhime]

My ★★★★ review of Knives Out on Letterboxd:

[ankle-beez]

[ID: A five-star review of "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" by ankle-beez on Letterboxd that reads,

"absolutely fucking incredible. so glad that lucasfilm didn't go forward with rian's star wars trilogy because this means he gets to make as many of these as he wants

also probably the most cathartic watch of 2022 after witnessing billionaires and conservatives make everybody's lives miserable for the past 12 months".]

[spaceytrash]

How could anyone see Hugh Grant opening the door to Blanc's apt. with an apron on, flour in his hair and a sourdough starter in his hand and think yep that's his butler/roommate? It's HUGH 'ROMCOM LEGEND' GRANT in a domestic setting what else could he play but Blanc's bf/husband?

[ladyantiheroine]

I really have to hand it to Rian Johnson. The whole whodunnit murder mystery genre is one that can get really stale. There’s only so many unique things you can do with the set-up of “someone is dead and we need to figure out the who what where and why of it all.”

But Knives Out and Glass Onion managed to make the genre feel fresh and genuinely twisty. Not just in the typical “the murderer wasn't who you thought it was, it was actually this guy!!” kind of way.

When I saw the Glass Onion trailer with the whole “every person has been invited to a murder mystery party game” set-up I found it…a bit corny. But I shouldn’t have underestimated this franchise because it took that Clue-like scenario and completely flipped the table on it.

Anyway, Glass Onion is a great movie. It has similar themes, archetypes, and tropes as Knives Out but not in a way that feels like a copy-paste of the latter. It rhymes but doesn’t repeat.

My brain is leaking but in a good way.

[deep-sea-scholar]

Okay I need to rant about Glass Onion for several paragraphs

WARNING: SPOILERS!

Glass onion is phenomenal, and I personally enjoyed its themes more than the first Knives Out movie.

Now don’t get me wrong, Knives Out is arguably the better film, but its strengths lie in the complexity and brilliant execution of its core mystery.  It’s a fantastic self-contained story about a shitty rich family and the people they directly affect.  The members of the family range across the political spectrum and all express different ideologies, but the moment a migrant working-class woman has a legitimized shot at their inheritance they band together to prevent her from improving her life.  It's interesting commentary on how wealthy people can talk a big game about helping others and being good people, but ultimately fall morally short when such actions threaten what they feel they “rightfully deserve.” But that's arguably the limitation of the film as its focus is entirely on the interpersonal conflict between the Thrombey family and Marta.

Glass onion isn’t limited by that.

The entire thematic core of Glass Onion concerns the damage that the rich and powerful can do to the world if they aren’t supervised, criticized, or limited. 

Aside from our lovely detective Benoit Blanc, the murdered Andi Brand, and her twin sister Helen, all of the characters are shitty people that are damaging the world in a uniquely horrible way as a direct consequence of the unchecked power and wealth they wield.

To start we have Governor Claire Dubella.  Her success in her political career has relied almost entirely on monetary support and influence from the films big bad and Elon Musk/Jeff Bezos analogue Miles Bron. Her platform has good objectives, and she’s passionate about hard topics like climate change, but her ability to act is entirely limited by the influence Miles has on her.  If Miles wants her to do something, she feels like she has no choice but to, which results in her greenlighting an experimental powerplant that Miles wants built to advocate for his new fuel source.  It’s untested technology, it’s volatile and dangerous as fuck, and Claire feels like she has no choice but to go along with it because if she doesn’t Miles will withdraw support from her career, or worse, support her opponents.  She likens it to selling her soul, and it really is.  She willingly undermined the health of her constituents for the sake of saving her career, and the shitty part is that Miles only controls her because she lets him.  She could deny the power plant, or leave Miles, at any time, but she doesn’t because she perceives the personal risk as to great.  She is a politician that won’t stand up for the people she represents, and no one calls her out on it.

Next, we have Duke Cody, the Alpha male men’s rights streamer who is just like, the absolute worst person in this film.  His views and opinions are incredibly toxic, his actions and beliefs directly hurt the people he influences through the hurtful products he promotes, and thanks to Mile's wealth and influence both he and his terrible, terrible, terrible opinions have official backing and some form of legitimacy.  He’s almost the direct inverse of Claire, being someone who really shouldn’t have support, but is getting it anyway because he’s Mile’s friend.  And because Miles doesn’t care and is giving Duke support and helping him dodge legal trouble, he enables Dukes terrible opinions and lets them influence and hurt people.  

Then we have Birdie, my personal favorite of the disruptors.  She is a fashion designer, media star, and breathtakingly, beautifully, stupid. She’s not actively malicious like some of the other characters, but she is just so fundamentally incapable of thinking things through. When paired with her wealth and influence, this results in horrifying real-world consequences.  She has her iconic fashion line of sweatpants made at the most infamous sweatshop in Bangladesh not because she doesn’t care, but because she thought a sweatshop is just a shop where you make sweatpants.  She’s just very stupid, but at the very least has the decency to be aware of it.  She even decides to own up to her Bangladesh mistake of her own volition, independent of the plot.  The problem is that no one corrected for her, or guided her, or worked to influence her decisions.  Miles just cared about what her brands could do for him and was perfectly willing to throw her under the bus to preserve his image.

Last of the four Disruptors is Lionel Toussaint.  Not much to say about him actually, he’s fairly straightforward.  He works directly under Miles as a scientist and is a parallel for the people that want to have confidence in tech ‘pioneers’ like Elon Musk.  After all they’ve been successful, and things have worked out in the past, surely, we can give them leeway with new technology development.  But there’s a reason why technology is prototyped and tested, and that’s because things always go wrong, and you need to take time and care to figure out how to ensure new technology is safe.

Which leads us to this asshole.

Miles goddamn Mona Lisa Burning Bron.

The absolute, motherfucking, shithead moron directly responsible for everything bad that happens in this film.

I lied about Duke Cody because this absolute buffoon is the actually the worst person in this film.

He manipulates politicians into endangering their constituents for his own gain, he enables the absolute worst and most toxic people by giving them legitimate platforms, he promotes influencers without caring for what their unchecked actions result in, and he deludes the people that work for him and want to believe in him with self-assured delusion.  This man is arrogant, an indiscribable moron (worse than Birdie because at least she acknowledges her failings), dangerously delusional, obsessed with control, and most damning of all, unchecked.

Miles Bron is a direct look at how too much unchecked power, wealth, and influence results in unmitigated disasters.  He doesn’t care about helping people, because he doesn’t take the time to make sure untested technology is safe for the public, handwaving legitimate concerns with denial and false assurance.  He doesn’t care about his friends, because he murders two of them the instant, they become a threat to his control.  He’s not smart, because all of his genius is the result of other people, he’s just skilled at advertising it as his own to get the credit.  All he cares about is doing what he wants and being in control, because his opinion and self-worth and legacy is more precious to him than any other thing in the world.  The man is a lie so absolute, so convoluted, and so stupidly straightforward that the slightest piece of truth will bring the facade of his existence crumbling down.  And it’s hard to acknowledge something like that in the real world because someone that successful being that malicious and dumb sounds incredibly stupid.  It’s an easy lie to buy because it’s more believable than how stupid the truth is.

Anyway, ultimately my conclusion is that we see a strikingly accurate portrayal of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in this film, and it was very cathartic seeing their hopes, ambitions, and house burn down around them.  Because billionaires like them are shithead morons that lie to and manipulate everyone, and their arrogant and harmful self-delusions compound through the people they manage to influence.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[themirokai]

If you just go by accents… they’re from the same place.

And I’m pretty sure it ain’t Texas.

[eclecticfeverdream]

Now this review has reached its target audience. if we're talking about the Mamma Mia! And Knives out/Glass Onion venn diagram I'm right in the middle.

[chaoticace22]

Glass Onion has Stefon’s full recomendation

[nanomooselet]

On Narrators

You know what, fuck it.

I've seen a lot of references to Trigun Stampede having an unreliable narrator, and unfortunately it's activated my media analyst trap card. While there's always a degree of interpretation to these things, there is a difference between interpretation and declaring a banana skin to be orange zest. It makes a difference, especially if you're trying to bake a cake.

That isn't at all what Trigun Stampede is doing. Among other things, it doesn't have a narrator.

Narration, loosely defined, is text (or spoken lines etc) that directly addresses an assumed audience, which may or may not be the actual audience (it depends on the needs of the story). Think voice-overs, think Kuzco in The Emperor's New Groove, think the text panels in a comic or manga that list time and location, or describe the situation. The song of humanity continues to be sung is narration. A narrator is the character who performs narration; sometimes from with the story, sometimes from a position adjacent to it.

Honestly one of the most interesting things about Stampede, in my opinion, is that it makes a point of having neither.

There's no framing device, no presenter, no announcer, no chorus, no soliloquy, not even an internal monologue. There's no direct line to the writers, giving away their intentions. Indeed, the imposition of any text at all is almost entirely absent, save some pointed timing on the title cards, and no character's voice is objective. Zazie or Roberto, who come the closest, can definitely still be wrong - Roberto says Vash is "not long for this world" when Vash is longer for the world than almost anyone else; the man he says would kill with a smile was in fact coerced into becoming a killer. Zazie knows much and is always truthful, but isn't all-knowing, nor operating with complete understanding. And on the other end of the scale you have characters like Dr. Conrad or Knives, where the easiest way to tell they're mistaken or lying is if their mouths are moving. (Outside of brain fuckery. Then you're on your own.) Then there's Vash, who doesn't lie, necessarily, so much as he doesn't volunteer the truth, and tends to dodge giving answers when asked outright.

Now, an unreliable narrator is metafictional, taking advantage of the narrator being a character, and therefore capable of having an agenda.

What makes them unreliable is that they exert motivated influence over what we see - even accidental influence like distorted recollection or misconception. But before declaring such influence is occurring, we need a solid reason to doubt. You don't dismiss an account as unreliable just because it doesn't line up with your own expectations or desires - not without something like a clear contradiction, perhaps, or some conspicuous omission. *

We simply have no reason to believe what we see in Trigun Stampede is anything other than the truth (inasmuch as it's obviously fictional of course). We see some events from multiple viewpoints - here is what Vash experienced, here is what Knives saw, here is what other characters are doing - and what one character sees isn't different from what any other character sees when the perspectives swap. It's just from different distances and angles. The same words are said, the same events play out, and the same reactions are demonstrated by the characters, according to their established values and motivations.

The narrative itself is unadorned and unchanged by their viewpoints. Whether a character is being truthful is simply a judgement you're given to make as the events that occur and their actions reveal more about them.

The term for this isn't narration; it's focalisation, and it's hardly some avant-garde artistic statement. It's intrinsic to telling even the most simple story.

For instance, the way Knives evolves from his initial presentation. His introduction as an adult is as a wrathful would-be god and a merciless killer before his more nuanced motivations and origins are slowly revealed. It would have been different if he'd been introduced first, discovered Tesla and was then depicted destroying Jeneora Rock. He'd come across as more of a protagonist. Instead, because the central character is Vash, we see him first, the humanising struggles of Jeneora Rock's people and Vash's efforts to help them, his anguish when it's rendered moot, and all the ways he suffers as a result of Knives's actions. This is focalisation that makes Knives the antagonist, representing what Vash must overcome. A complex, compelling and perhaps tragic antagonist, but still - not the guy the story is about.

Oh, and that has nothing to do with their respective moral positions, good or evil. It's structural. A protagonist attempts to achieve while an antagonist obstructs, and both by nature will transgress.

Stampede isn't exactly free of ways to manipulate sympathy, and exerts strict control over the perspectives it presents. You could argue it misdirects, or lies by omission - but that's not the same as an unreliable narrator. A narrative is always going to impose some kind of order on events to produce a specific effect, and that does come with bias. But it's the nature of storytelling never to be entirely objective.

I'm not sure that I really have a point, honestly, except that Trigun Stampede is a show that's exceedingly careful to show the characters exactly as they are. It doesn't lie. Personally, I find that more interesting to contemplate than the alternative. We have everything we need to know why the characters do as they do. Certainly far more than some would rather have us know.

* There are two times I think something like this is happening. One is Wolfwood's flashbacks to the orphanage, which are coloured as memories of the softness the Eye ripped away from him. Hence the different art style, and the title of the episode they occur in: once upon a time. It's a fairy tale, more emotionally true than literal to highlight the harshness of his life since then by contrast. There's likely more to that story than Wolfwood is recalling at that moment.

The other, big surprise, is within the memory world. It has manipulative editing, clips taken out of context, video noise, ADR, everything. All you'd need to make it more obvious it can't be trusted is a disclaimer in the corner or inconsistent timestamps or something.

[thundergrace]

😊💫 Ben Shapiro hated Glass Onion because of its "politics" 💫 🥳

[benoits-neckerchieves]

Feel free to explain why in the comments or reblog with ur favourite scenes or whatever

[andreai04]

I’d learned this much playing chess: The more complicated a person’s strategy seemed, the less likely an opponent was to look for simple answers.

[ghostofanovelwriter]

If Phillip was Rian Johnson’s way of improving the John Watson “they were only roommates” trope then I wholeheartedly accept.

[isobelleposts]

“Eat The Rich” — My Favorite Genre in Film

by Isobelle Cruz [February 1, 2022]

The Menu (2022) dir. by Mark Mylod

The phrase in the title comes from political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s quote, “When people have nothing to eat, they will eat the rich.” The last film I watched that had me surprised they did not literally eat the rich was The Menu by Mark Mylod.

This film never took itself too seriously despite its center around the wealthy and the lengths they go to just to experience the finer things in life. It is fully aware of its bizarreness and adds bits of humor here and there, making it enjoyable despite mostly taking place in one setting.

As the first film I had seen this year, The Menu truly sets up expectations and a fresh path to more of what the industry has in store for the rest of the year. Moving on, here are four more films to see if you enjoyed The Menu:

Triangle of Sadness (2022) dir. by Ruben Östlund

Starting off strong with one of my final watches of 2022 that had me saying “what the fuck?” under my breath every few minutes is Triangle of Sadness directed by Ruben Östlund. What initially caught my interest in watching this film was a clip in the opening part wherein we see a bit of the modeling industry and its quirks, or so, ridiculousness. What I didn’t know, and certainly wasn’t prepared for,  was what I would witness next.

I went into this film after refraining myself from spoilers or even a hint of what it could be about, preparing myself to be either disappointed or pleased with what I was about to be met with. And that is exactly what I suggest to you as well. Ditch the synopsis and logline and head straight into this experience. Just know that you’ll be met with great dialogue, delicate cinematography, and a whole lot of shit—both figuratively and literally.

Parasite (2019) dir. by Bong Joon-ho

Behind my little song to the clouds to tuck its raindrops away, a certain thought would always lie at the back of my head while growing up. As we celebrate a class suspension and give thanks for the chilly weather in the desert-like heat of the Philippines, I wonder what life is like for those living by the rivers, whose roofs are made with cheap iron or yero and whose walls are made of thin wood.

It hasn’t occurred to me before how important these thoughts were until I encountered this film a few years back. Parasite presents its audience with the rich’s ignorance of their surroundings and several contrasts between the everyday life scenes of a wealthy and poor family. 

Parasite is precise, well-written, and surely deserving of its multiple awards.

Knives Out (2019) dir. by Rian Johnson

Whodunnit—-they say that when you see them once, you’ve seen them all. And that may be true, but Knives Out’s fast pacing and quick cuts from past to present still kept my eyes glued to the screen. It’s a classic murder mystery, encouraging the audience to say things like “It’s too early on for such an obvious clue.”

This will keep you thinking throughout its length, asking questions again and again in your head, eager to beat the ending before the killer’s reveal. Though predictable for some, Knives Out nonetheless offers a fun view into the world of a money-starved family and their deceased father, along with a bunch of odd and entertaining characters.

The Handmaiden (2016) dir. by Park Chan-wook

Of course I found a way to sneak The Handmaiden into this list. 

The film follows Kim Tae-ri’s character who falls in deep romance with Lady Hideko, the woman she works for. Just when you think it is about to finally end, a sharp turn comes and it’s as if the story had only begun then—this happens thrice, by the way.

As we go further along the story we encounter money’s play in the wickedness of men and are left with our mouths agape after another unexpected revelation or scene. 

The Handmaiden is not only a story of forbidden romance between two women but also a showcasing of comradeship and care for another in suffering. Looking past its long length and adult scenes is a mind-boggling and thoroughly written story accompanied by excellent direction, camera work, and acting.