View Poll Results: Knives Out (Rian Johnson)

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Thread: Knives Out (Rian Johnson)

  1. #1
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    Knives Out (Rian Johnson)

    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  2. #2
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    A slight disappointment relative to expectation, but still one of the mostly purely fun times at the movies this year. May be a My Problem in that I grew up on Agatha Christie (estimating conservatively I’ve read about 90% of her works), so I took the “subversion” hype about her kind of mystery too literally, and constructed a more elaborate version of story than what was presented -- I figure out the ‘how’ (if not the ‘who’) immediately during the first extended “rug pull” reveal early in the film -- when rather that subversion is in regards to the characters and politics of her mysteries instead.

    Still, it’s so intricately put together and magnificently edited for maximum character/plot reveal momentum, with a killer ensemble cast of colorful detectives, a family of unseemly, even venomously money-grabbing characters on both sides of the political line, and a deep heart-and-soul of the film in Ana de Armas. The sign of a great mystery story is that even when the mystery doesn’t wholly work for you, the surface story still draws you in intimately. De Armas as the fearful eye of the storm keeps you invested closely, so that her tangent as the film’s throughline of class and political consciousness, as potent as it is, is secondary to her as a full, lived-in person. 8/10


    To put it in Christie term: not the gobsmacking subversion of a Roger Ackroyd or Curtains or And Then There Were None that I unfairly expected, but it's still a delectably intricate and high-caliber mystery in the Cards on the Table/Five Little Pigs vein, with the added richness of being slyly and even touchingly updated to present day.
    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  3. #3
    Guttenbergian Pop Trash's Avatar
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    It's good but mighty overrated. Throw it on a pile with Booksmart and Jojo Rabbit for 2k19 movies whose praise I do not get (although even Jojo Rabbit is mixed among critics; audiences seem to love it tho).

    I'm seriously not convinced it is wildly better than other recent arch, self-aware comedy / mysteries. I'd rank it above the 2k17 Murder on the Orient Express (eh) but below A Simple Favor (underrated) and Game Night (great).

    There's something self-satisfied while not being as smart as it seems to think it is that rubs me the wrong way. It doesn't help that all the characters are more caricatures (probably by design, but still). Angelic immigrant nurse, asshole rich kid sons, etc.

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    Last edited by Pop Trash; 12-02-2019 at 01:31 PM.
    Ratings on a 1-10 scale for your pleasure:

    Top Gun: Maverick - 8
    Top Gun - 7
    McCabe & Mrs. Miller - 8
    Crimes of the Future - 8
    Videodrome - 9
    Valley Girl - 8
    Summer of '42 - 7
    In the Line of Fire - 8
    Passenger 57 - 7
    Everything Everywhere All at Once - 6



  4. #4
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    This is fun for a while until it just goes off the rails in exposition. Good lord.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  5. #5
    Cinematographer Mal's Avatar
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    An attempt at some kind of cheeky ensemble but the goods beyond the production design aren't there, and the conclusion is overwrought and ridiculous. I also really hated how I couldn't shake that Daniel Craig sounded like Frank Underwood. Ana de Armas is great in a mostly underutilized cast. I don't think I'd bother if this was on cable to give it a second glance.
    Last edited by Mal; 12-10-2019 at 05:56 AM.

  6. #6
    Scott of the Antarctic Milky Joe's Avatar
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    This was a huge disappointment.
    ‎The severed arm perfectly acquitted itself, because of the simplicity of its wishes and its total lack of doubt.

  7. #7
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    By the way....

    [
    ]

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  8. #8
    Screenwriter Lazlo's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Ezee E (view post)
    By the way....

    [
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    [
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    last four:
    black widow - 8
    zero dark thirty - 9
    the muse - 7
    freaky - 7

    now reading:
    lonesome dove - larry mcmurtry

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    The Harrison Marathon - A Podcast About Harrison Ford

  9. #9
    Scott of the Antarctic Milky Joe's Avatar
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    [
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    ‎The severed arm perfectly acquitted itself, because of the simplicity of its wishes and its total lack of doubt.

  10. #10
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Lazlo (view post)
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    For sure. But why make a big deal of his character then? He doesn't contribute anything otherwise.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  11. #11
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Milky Joe (view post)
    [
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    <----

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  12. #12
    Guttenbergian Pop Trash's Avatar
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    [
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    Last edited by Pop Trash; 12-11-2019 at 11:26 AM.
    Ratings on a 1-10 scale for your pleasure:

    Top Gun: Maverick - 8
    Top Gun - 7
    McCabe & Mrs. Miller - 8
    Crimes of the Future - 8
    Videodrome - 9
    Valley Girl - 8
    Summer of '42 - 7
    In the Line of Fire - 8
    Passenger 57 - 7
    Everything Everywhere All at Once - 6



  13. #13
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Pop Trash (view post)
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    Indeed. This movie is getting worse and worse as I think about it.

    Rian Johnson has some fervent defenders, so I'll leave it to Match Cut lol.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  14. #14
    Scott of the Antarctic Milky Joe's Avatar
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    I thought the movie was a stinker for many reasons but I still think Rian Johnson is one of the best in Hollywood and would defend him on the basis of Looper and The Last Jedi alone (not to mention "Ozymandias" and "Fly").

    I just hope his next project stays away from political messaging.
    Last edited by Milky Joe; 12-11-2019 at 10:59 PM.
    ‎The severed arm perfectly acquitted itself, because of the simplicity of its wishes and its total lack of doubt.

  15. #15
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    *** 1/2
    Looper

    ***
    Brick

    ** 1/2
    Last Jedi

    **
    Brothers Bloom
    Knives Out

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  16. #16
    Guttenbergian Pop Trash's Avatar
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    GODDAMN MASTERPIECE
    The Last Jedi


    [power gap]


    Various films ranging from ok to good
    Brick
    Looper
    Knives Out

    Didn't see Brothers Bloom
    Ratings on a 1-10 scale for your pleasure:

    Top Gun: Maverick - 8
    Top Gun - 7
    McCabe & Mrs. Miller - 8
    Crimes of the Future - 8
    Videodrome - 9
    Valley Girl - 8
    Summer of '42 - 7
    In the Line of Fire - 8
    Passenger 57 - 7
    Everything Everywhere All at Once - 6



  17. #17
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    5/5
    "Ozymandias"

    4.5/5
    Brick

    4/5
    Star Wars: The Last Jedi
    Knives Out
    Looper
    "Fly"
    "Fifty-One"

    3.5/5
    The Brothers Bloom
    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  18. #18
    It’s a solid yarn. No more, no less. This is exactly the type of movie that earns a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Plot-driven, with safe and inconsequential content. Some silly allusions to Trump that play right to the audience. Nothing terribly interesting in terms of form, IMHO.

    This type of exercise is more compelling from a first timer, like in the case of Brick, which was nevertheless more interesting from a formal standpoint. That said, it’s entertaining as all get out and a definite crowd-pleaser, so I’m guessing he accomplished what he wanted in terms of washing that Last Jedi backlash out of his mouth.
    letterboxd.

    A Star is Born (2018) **1/2
    Unforgiven (1992) ***1/2
    The Sisters Brothers (2018) **
    Crazy Rich Asians (2018) ***
    The Informant! (2009) ***1/2
    BlacKkKlansman (2018) ***1/2
    Sorry to Bother You (2018) **1/2
    Eighth Grade (2018) ***
    Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018) ***
    Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018) **1/2

  19. #19
    Quote Quoting DavidSeven (view post)
    This is exactly the type of movie that earns a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
    You mean like, Taxi Driver, Fury Road, or Alien? In that case, then yes, it is that type of movie...


  20. #20
    Looper remains Johnson’s only good movie.
    Last 10 Movies Seen
    (90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)

    Run
    (2020) 64
    The Whistlers
    (2019
    ) 55
    Pawn (2020) 62
    Matilda (1996) 37
    The Town that Dreaded Sundown
    (1976) 61
    Moby Dick (2011) 50

    Soul
    (2020) 64

    Heroic Duo
    (2003) 55
    A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
    As Tears Go By (1988) 65

    Stuff at Letterboxd
    Listening Habits at LastFM

  21. #21
    Moderator TGM's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
    Looper remains Johnson’s only good movie.
    Based on what I’ve seen of his (Brick, Looper, The Last Jedi), I would agree with this.

  22. #22
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
    Looper remains Johnson’s only good movie.
    I'm surprised you didn't like Brick? Seems like a trans-y movie.

  23. #23
    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    I'm surprised you didn't like Brick? Seems like a trans-y movie.
    Looper 71
    Brick 52
    The Brothers Bloom 51
    Knives Out 49
    Star Wars: The Last Jedi 45

    He may well be the most boring director that the Letterboxd crew love to death. I assume his Breaking Bad episodes won him a lot of goodwill, but his writing is generally either far too clumsy and expositional (Knives Out) or just lazy dumb (TLJ), and he has little in the way of style.
    Last 10 Movies Seen
    (90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)

    Run
    (2020) 64
    The Whistlers
    (2019
    ) 55
    Pawn (2020) 62
    Matilda (1996) 37
    The Town that Dreaded Sundown
    (1976) 61
    Moby Dick (2011) 50

    Soul
    (2020) 64

    Heroic Duo
    (2003) 55
    A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
    As Tears Go By (1988) 65

    Stuff at Letterboxd
    Listening Habits at LastFM

  24. #24
    Since 1929 Morris Schæffer's Avatar
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    Really good, but explain me 2 things. [
    ]
    [+] closer to next rating / [-] closer to previous rating

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    • Thor: Love and Thunder (Waititi, 2022) ✦✦ [+]


  25. #25
    Scott of the Antarctic Milky Joe's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Morris Schæffer (view post)
    Really good, but explain me 2 things. [
    ]
    [
    ]
    ‎The severed arm perfectly acquitted itself, because of the simplicity of its wishes and its total lack of doubt.

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