Yesterday, I wrote at length about Brokeback Mountain and why it disappointed me. Today, I want to start by talking about a movie I really wanted to like, but just did not. I’ve talked about it several times before, but I want to get into why I don’t like it more than what about it I don’t like. It’s not a distinction withot a difference, by the way.
It’s Knives Out. The second-to-last new movie I’ve seen. And, yes, I watched it when it first came out. I watched the trailer and was immediately put off. It was hypercut in a way that was very unpleasing to my eyes. I hate flashing lights; it’s part of my sensory sensitivity.
I wanted to give it a chance beacuse I love Poirot books–and David Suchet as Poirot. I saw the big, ensemble cast and hoped that I would get something similar with a modern glow up, but alas, that was not what I got.
Another issue was that Rian Johnson, the director made this big to-do to the critics about not spoiling the ending (when the perp is revealed). I don’t have an issue with thim not wanting the ending to be spoiled, but why did he feel the need to mention it specifically? Anyone knows that you don’t say who the killer is for a murder mystery. There’s no need to specifically say it.
The vibe of his message was that he thought his ending was so ingenious, cricics would be foaming at the mouth to reveal it.
Spoiler alert: It wasn’t brilliant at all. The first time I saw the perp, I knew it was them. I hoped I was wrong, but I was not. The reason for it was so banal, too, I’ll get to that later. Maybe.
Here’s one of the problems. I don’t like movies that aren’t realistic. Unless they are musicals. That’s a whole different thing. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched the trailer, but I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Five minutes into the movie, I was already hating it. So much. The hypercuts kept going, and none of the characters seemed real. Which, ironically, was one of the only bright spots of the movie. I can say without reservation that the cast is brilliant. Jamie Lee Curtis stood out as my favorite, and her chewing up the scenery as she berated Don jJohnson (her hubby) for being a philanderer was my favorite scene in the movie. Hands down.