Review of Knives Out (2020)

Not the Sharpest Knife in the Drawer

“Four Conversations are three too many”

Lillian Hellman, The Little Foxes

“Remember… to tell them… it was only a bloody game”

Milo Tindle, closing lines in Sleuth

The close of the second decade of the 21st century showcases technological dystopia, ecological collapse and global fascist resurgence. Paradoxically this is a perfect time for Knives Out, an old-timey, family who-dunit feature film. It has received critical praise coupled with financial success. Sadly, light comedy requires heavy lifting. The creators didn’t do the work.

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out revolves around the death of a family patriarch, professionally rendered by Christopher Plummer. The character has made his mark as a mystery writer. This plot is akin to the classic 1972 film Sleuth, where another detective novelist delves into a real life murder. Whereas Lawerence Olivier and Micheal Cain battle to the death in a precise, virtuosic display of writing and acting, Plummer is left out in the cold. Knives Out’s script did him in. He was surrounded by a cast of gothic family-horribles that, unintentionally, stumble through a plot that centers around the question of who killed the Paterfamilias. It is reminiscent of the board game Clue, where all moves relate to exposing the murderer within the confines of a house filled with suspects. The 1985 film version of this rainy day staple of my youth was uninspired… even with the multi-endings released in different theaters which highlighted different characters as the villains. The novelty failed to hide the same problem that plagues Knives Out: the hook is confused with the reveal. It is fine to have the goal of discovering the guilty party. However, the real driving force of the narrative is never who, but why. You can lure an audience to the theater by promising to capture the criminal, but it will be an unsatisfying excursion if the bad guy defined, solely, by their deed. The characters become tokens in a game of Clue, rather than real life bad guys.

The bright spot in Knives Out is Jamie Lee Curtis’ performance. This is a hard-bitting, daddy-defender daughter born of the dynamic gothic families of the defeated South. One can see this tough “dame” stepping into classic blood battles such as Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Hellman’s The Little Foxes. These playwrights were wrestling with issues of the acceptance homosexuality or the price familial loyalty. Their stories went beyond the stated plot device of seeking money and power. Curtis, with every sharp riposte and gesture, shares this attribute of stretching the meaning of her actions. Her anger goes beyond the smallness of criminal mischief and blazes on into the realm of existential purpose. Sadly Johnson uses her sparingly and includes Daniel Craig in nearly every scene. It is difficult to convey the hollowness of his performance. It is as if Johnson’s direction was encapsulated by the instruction: “you are in a regional theater and you need to pretend to be a combination of Atticus Finch and a professional wrestler… now go out there and tear up the scenery”. If the Screen Actors Guild were to issue criminal warrants for crimes against acting this offense would garner the current “most wanted status”. Don Johnson, who plays Lee’s spouse, would join him on the list. Both have, heretofore, delivered solid performances in feature films (Johnson A Boy & His Dog, Craig in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). One can only assume they matched the laziness of the script with the ennui of phone-it-in caliber work.

The most disturbing character is Marta, the angelic hispanic nurse companion. She is solidly played by Ana De Armas but the performance failed to hide the creative problems. Johnson wanted to give Knives Out a pastiche of social commentary. In keeping with the rest of the script the result is the opposite of what was intended. The film has a solidly progressive bent on the evils of money and the horrors of inequality. Sadly, presenting an updated “noble savage” stock character does little for illustrating the sin of avarice or the real oppression wrought by racism. The film Deathtrap is an example of a feature that incorporates the devilishness of greed in a family murder mystery. The direct action of the film, not the spoken word dialogues, give the audience a parable to ponder, in addition to heartfelt laughs. Marta, on the other hand, is merely a saintly guide amongst nefarious family factions. She and the patriarch are, ostensibly, wearing the metaphorical white hats. Unfortunately there is an opaqueness that surrounds their motivations. (spoiler alert) In the end, when Marta glances down on the family from the veranda, what is she thinking? Retribution? Justice? Comity? Rage?

As this is simply light comedy, what does it really matter? Here lies the heart of the matter. The film goes to extraordinary lengths to delineate the denouement with a careful verbal re-telling of all events that exactingly explain the “ingenious” plot to kill the man in charge. Sadly the human heart is built on emotion, not ingenuity. Clever plot twists can only reveal concrete answers which might help win a game of Clue. They will never make an imprint on the heart. My half century old childhood memories of Sleuth are clear. Ditto for Deathtrap. My impressions of Knives Out seem to fade with every passing hour. No doubt the creators will point to box office and some critical praise. It’s a “hit”, what more can anyone ask? Answer: a taut, funny, interesting comedy that learns the lessons of previous filmmakers who’ve tackled the same material. Audiences should expect more than lazy distraction. All the accolades are a sign of the craving for a reprieve from current events. Maybe boardgames will stage a comeback.