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Our movie guy, James Finnegan, looks at what’s playing at the Omniplex this week…
This week’s reviews include a delightful combination of murder and romance. What more could you ask from your local Omniplex?
Personally, the big film this week is Knives Out, a delightfully modern take on the Agatha Christie whodunit that originally came out last year.
When best selling mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in strange circumstances following his birthday celebrations, there is no shortage of potential suspects.
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His dysfunctional family are all on site, and all have their own difficult relationship with the deceased. His son Ransom (Chris Evans), daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and husband Richard (Don Johnson), Walt (Michael Shannon) and daughter in law Joni (Toni Collette) all have possible motives.
Knives Out.
Rather than Miss Marple or Poirot, we have the “last of the gentleman sleuths” Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig with a southern accent) to solve the mystery, with the aid of Harlan’s trusted carer Maria (Ana de Armas) who suffers from a”regurgitive reaction to lying”.
This is a great romp of a whodunit, with plenty of twists, turns, misdirection and surprises. An ensemble cast plays it dead straight, but it must have been great fun to film.
Some characters don’t quiet get the on screen time you might wish but all play their part in a very entertaining story.
Director and writer Rian Johnson got harsh treatment from the Star Wars fans for “The Last Jedi”, but in this film he has a very assured touch on the tiller, bringing this very modern treatment of a classic genre to a very satisfactory conclusion.
Kudos also to the set designer who made the stately home setting as much of a character in the story as the cast, and composer Nathan Johnson, whose soundtrack is just right. Highly recommended, and hoping that the talks of a sequel tale for Benoit Blanc come to fruition.
There are two new releases, both with a romantic theme. First is After We Collided, staring Josephine Langford as Tessa and hero Fiennes Tiffin as Hardin.
This is the latest in the ‘After’ series of films, based on the Anna Todd series of books, and follows the trials and tribulations of young love, which suffice to say, does not run smoothly. I am reliably informed that the film is faithful to the book.
Somewhat more amusing is The Broken Hearts Gallery, where Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) is a young woman trying to make her way in the New York art world.
She is a romantic, if eccentric, soul, who has kept souvenirs of all her failed romances, and comes up with the idea of a gallery where others, who also have their own collections, can display them publicly.
Fortunately, she meets Nick (Darce Montgomery) who just so happens to have a suitable premises available with his old YMCA building being converted into a hotel.
This is written and directed by Natalie Krinsky, and is a different and charming Rom-Com Date Movie that is well worth a visit.
