Saoirse Ronan shines in a romp of a whodunnit that’ll leave you thoroughly entertained.
From director Tom George (This Country) comes this delightfully welcome addition to what’s been a quiet three months for cinema, post Tom Cruise taking to the skies.
We follow Inspector Stoppard (a brilliantly dry and reluctant Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Ronan) as they try to solve the mysterious death of a famous American film director (Adrien Brody at his detestable best) in 1950’s London.
Straight away this film comes highly recommended for simply being a rip-roaring good time. A film to be drawn in by and to let wash over you with its thrills, spills, and some laugh out loud moments along the way.
The majority of those laugh out loud moments come courtesy of the always magnetic, and uber talented Saoirse Ronan. Flexing her comedic muscles for the first time since Lady Bird, she’s undoubtedly having an absolute ball on screen as the plucky constable, fighting the case, and the patriarchal police system (and 1950’s) one, one liner at a time. Her delivery of the material is nothing short of pitch perfect. Seeing more of her in a comedic setting is now a must.
The material itself is an absolute zinger of a script from Mark Chappell. Never really missing a beat, skipping from story to joke, and from exposition to out and out nonsense at the literal drop of a hat.
Arguably its biggest charm however (besides the cast) is its own blistering self-awareness. Poking fun at the minutiae of the genre without having to veer too far from the classic whodunnit steps, and with some hilariously crafted meta-moments along the way, courtesy of a brilliant supporting cast.
Led by standout showings from David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson, the supporting cast also go toe to toe with Chappell’s script, each being as equally and necessarily over the top, and with that hint of mystery as to make you question their motives. Dickinson especially as heartthrob theatre actor ‘Dickie Attenborough’ brings a great deal of comedic value.
Of course, comparisons are going to be made to Knives Out here, especially with the sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit on the horizon, which is fair. I would say this does less to subvert the genre as Johnson’s Oscar nominated screenplay did, but rather has more fun playing with the moving parts of that classic whodunnit story. Less original maybe, but in no way less clever and rewarding for the audience.
The film also has a super-efficient runtime, with its 90 minute story wasting no time getting deep into proceedings, giving it almost a hint of a feel of an extremely good, elongated episode of Inside No.9, and not just because Reece Shearsmith pops in with one of his usual engaging displays.
Verdict
In a recent time in which you could argue cinemas have been a bit dry of content, this 90-minute romp can’t be recommended highly enough. Not only will its razor sharp one liners and playful cast keep you entertained, but you might find yourself having one of your most enjoyable cinema experiences of the year.
But, will you guess who did it?
