Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Glass Onion : A Knives Out Story 

This a sequel that is so much Damn fun. Rian Johnson delivers another knockout Knives Out tale that isn’t as good as the first film but it’s such an enjoyable ride. Rian Johnson has crafted such a well thought out character with Benoit Blanc that is a modern day Hercule Poirot and setting him in new mystery’s with new characters in each film is such a brilliant idea. As we are thrust into a new story with new twists and turns that are as effective as the first and Glass Onion is smartly layered with its writing it keeps you guessing the entire way through while also delivering great comedy and social commentary that is so well placed and comments on some very real topics such as rich snobby business insiders that will definitely piss them off and I love it. 

Firstly, The Story this time around centres around a woman who got pushed out of her own company and the rich snobs that benefit from her losses and mixed in with a murder you have a truly compelling narrative at hand. As what this film and the first one does so well was comment on real world subjects as the first film talked about the mistreatment of immigrants and how politics can sway how people look at one another where this film takes shots at how privileged billionaires are by pushing aside the person that made them a fortune and everyone who benefits from it only caring about their share of the profit. It’s shown in such a honest way as I said that will piss people off and if you don’t find the humour in what Rian is trying to tell people then you need to learn how to take a joke. As then putting our favourite southern detective into the mix results in constant twists that are smartly placed. Now this film I think is just like the first where you should watch it multiple times as since the writing is so razor sharp in how it’s executed theirs Easter eggs you’ll pick up on a second or third viewing you won’t see the first time which I think makes it all the more fun to revisit. The film doesn’t fall flat on its face by revealing who the killer is in the first five minutes or makes it to easy who it can be your constantly guessing as every character we are shown has a clear motive to want the person who has them over dead. Each character is fleshed out so well and he doesn’t do a hour long exposition dump he tells you everything you need to know about the cast of new characters within the first few minutes and it’s all due to its great writing and each character all have very different personalities and they all have great moments to shine. And as he fleshes out the new characters he also expands and explores fun places for Benoit Blanc to go and Johnson never gives backstory of who he is and still keeps him a mystery and gives little bits of new information about him and I love that because revealing to much of the backstory of a character takes away the fun aspect and enjoyment of them aka Han Solo. So the way this film is as layered and sharply written as the first with new characters he makes you engage  and enjoy within moments while also enjoying the new environment our favourite detective gets into and again knocks it out of the park with how stylistic the film is and how air tight the writing  is Glass Onion is once again another strong narrative that is so fun to watch unfold.

Secondly, The performances from the entire cast is all such fun. You have the likes of Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton and then Janelle Monae who to me gives the best performance of the film. Bautista plays this overly masculine man’s man who has great comedic timing but also is the life of the party that you cannot take your eyes off of. Then you have Kate Hudson who plays this washed up tone deaf model that will do anything to be relevant. She thinks she’s making smart moves to further her career but she keeps making the wrong decisions and she presents this in such deadpan comedy that will have you laughing out loud. And after that theirs Edward Norton who plays this overly privileged power hungry Steve jobs inspired personality that thinks due to him having so much money that he has the world on a string along with his friends and he thinks he’s so sharp when in reality he’s the dumbest of the bunch. The way Norton plays him is so charismatic and fun and as snobby he comes across you can’t help but be drawn in by his performance and it’s so fun to hate him. Daniel Craig also expands with his role as the detective who we all love with that southern charm and sharp wit and engages the audiences again with his great comedic timing in another fantastic turn as Benoit Blanc Then you have Janelle Monae who plays this double role which I can’t go to into without giving spoilers but she plays it so smartly and complex as she shows a lot of her emotion through what she doesn’t say she plays it so subtly and it’s the best performance of the film among  the bunch of this great cast that all deliver great performances. 

Lastly, Glass Onion is a great follow up to Knives Out throwing our favourite detective into a new setting with fantastic new characters that are thrust into this dangerous but also engaging story that keeps unfolding layer after layer. It dose not rehash the same beats as the first film but finds a way to keep the narrative fresh and the twists and turns still as unpredictable as the first with great social commentary on rich America and the privileged while finding the humour in it and having a mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Glass Onion is a fun film that you’ll want to see again and again i recommend everyone to see this film. 

This film revolves around a group of friends invited to one of their old friend’s island to engage  in a murder mystery game until we learn people start getting picked off one by one and who will make it off the island alive 

Rated PG - 13 : Some Violence|Sexual Material|Drug Content|Strong Language

Janelle Monae : Janelle delivers an incredible subtle emotional driven performance that will knock you flat out. Janelle plays a very quiet but emotionally complex character as at first glance she seems very cold and distant. Now as the film progresses we learn why she is the way she is and I cannot say why as that veers into spoiler territory but the sheer places Janelle goes with her character is astonishing. As a lot of what she shows onscreen is little dialogue at first it’s all through facial expressions and body language and she is able to convey how she feels through that and it’s Damn good. As everyone questions her motive for showing up to this murder mystery party and she has her own personal agenda and the way It unfolds is stunning and yes her turn in this film is due to her strong acting abilities but the way she shifts the complexity of her character is also from the sharp writing from Rian Johnson. As when she wants to make a point or for her feelings to be felt she will make you sit down and take notice as she has speech after speech where she just steals the frame with her great dedication to the character she’s playing and is able to wrap herself up completely in each single frame. As she has the most backstory compared to any other character we are presented in the story and Janelle wastes no time showcasing her ability to grab an audience with her subtle emotional introduction and  then slowly expand that character arc more and more until we see her just spewing her dialogue passionately. It’s a fantastic supporting performance that I’m glad is getting noticed because it’s not a big bombastic performance it’s very quiet and slowly unrolls and that’s the genius of her character and performance Janelle is extraordinary in the film. 

Daniel Craig : Craig reels the audience back into that southern charm of his once again in Glass Onion. Now the first time we see him in Knives Out he blows you away with his performance as it’s to me the best character he’s given us since bond back in 2006. Now we saw the sheer amazing introduction to who this detective was back in the first film so where do you go with his character after all of that and Craig explores the character as a Person this time around more then a detective. As the he is very much the viewer because that famous personality he has is still very much here but for the most part he’s along for the ride. As he is questioning why he is at this party to begin with and when he shows concern it’s not from a professional standpoint it very much is him genuinely concerned for the peoples lives who may be shortly gone if they don’t figure out what the hell is going on. That is what Daniel explores so well is that adorably unaware nature of what’s going on and it’s not like he’s dulled the character but he is trying to grasp what his purpose is being their and it’s shown in a way that comes across comedic while showing dramatic elements of his detective skills later on as the film goes on and it’s truly brilliant the way he approaches the character this time around. Because it’s not as if he can go to a pre existing text to reference himself for help this is entirely an original thought out character from Rian Johnson’s brain and he has to find a way into this characters shoes again while keeping him fresh and not feeling like he’s just rehashing what he did the first time. As he is still the sharpest person at this island is always two steps ahead of everyone else but he has to play it in a way where they don’t know he is and has to make it seem like whoever is picking them off has the upper hand it’s like this mental chess game he is using on everyone and the way Craig goes about it is genius. As he’s observing everyone’s actions and body language they are all well researched by him before he stepped foot on their so he knows their backstory and what they potentially could do. Then you have the comedic timing he puts in the performance yet again as he reacts to everything with genuine interest or the way he expresses himself is so engaging to watch all due to Daniel Craig’s great ability to showcase his charismatic ability to soak in this character’s persona to a freaking T and also have impeccable comedic timing which is pitch perfect in his delivery. Overall Daniel Craig once again gives another deliciously entertaining performance of the sharpest southern detective in the world. 

Rian Johnson : Rian delivers again another well directed and written film within the Knives Out universe. He astonished people back in 2019 with how he was able to tackle the murder mystery genre with one of the most memorable and well crafted character with Benoit Blanc who is one of the best written characters of the last 20 years. As Rian Johnson knew he could take that character and put him in a new setting in each film giving a new cast of characters every time with a fresh murder mystery for the audience to enjoy. That being said Knives Out was never meant to be a trilogy but he had the ingredients to do so and it’s not easy as you have to take now a original murder mystery every time and keep the audience guessing without it feeling repetitive or rehashing ideas from the last film and it coming across as lazy writing. That’s the thing though Rian Johnson is such a brilliant storyteller that he puts so much thought into every character no matter how big or small their role is he dedicates every detail to them so he knows how fleshed out he can make them no character ever falls into the background each person serves a purpose to the outcome of the story. He takes that same mindset and applies it here greatly expressing the tone deaf social climate billionaires have over stealing original ideas and claiming it as their own and that’s a very real thing that happens all the time and he spins that into at times comedic ways but theirs a truth to what he’s saying and he isn’t afraid to push those themes. It has definitely pissed a lot of snobs off but again it was bound to happen because theirs going to be some uptight person who can’t take a joke on what he’s trying to say as the message to take away from the film while also giving a well done murder mystery that is always evolving and changing so you don’t know what the outcome will be as he’s constantly moves ahead. Here he uses again the environment they are in as a character itself and the way he is able to keep you on constant edge with the great writing and stellar direction is all due to the genius that is Rian Johnson.  As he easily could of done a copy and paste of the first film but instead tells very real themes and fantastic commentary on the rich and hell he even works the pandemic into the story without it feeling preachy the man is a genius all the while he never lets it over shadow the fun mystery he’s crafted for the audience. What Rian does with Glass onion is incredible and once again pushes the Knives Out world into new places that anyone who loved the first film will enjoy with this fantastic sequel that he masterfully brings to screen.