Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery review: Plenty of twists, turns and layers of fun
GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
(12A) 139mins
★★★★★
THERE’S little mystery as to who inspired the megalomaniac tech billionaire in the second Knives Out whodunnit.
Edward Norton plays Miles Bron, a “disrupter” whose business interests include electric cars and space rockets.
No more clues are needed to figure that one out.
And Glass Onion is equally generous when it comes to providing some pointers.
This time around Daniel Craig’s “world’s greatest detective” Benoit Blanc has been invited to a “murder mystery” weekend organised by Bron on his private island during Covid restrictions.
Someone is going to die, but who?
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There are plenty of twists, turns and misdirections, but not enough that you won’t have a good chance of figuring out the killer before Blanc announces his prime suspect.
For me, that is a plus point.
There’s nothing worse than a detective story that hides the evidence from the viewer — The Batman, I’m thinking of you.
There is a good chance, though, that your powers of deduction could be dazzled by Bron’s incredible glass mansion, the quip-packed script and the amazing cast.
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Everyone is great.
It’s a delight to see Craig swanning about in a polka- dot neckerchief and striped swim costume, while prising open the suspects Poriotstyle.
Kate Hudson totally throws herself into the role of dim “say-it-as-I-see-it” influencer Birdie, Dave Bautista pops his pecs as the gun-toting YouTuber Duke and Norton nails the insecurities of the all-powerful Bron.
The most notable performance is that of Janelle Monae, who proves she is every bit as accomplished at acting as she is singing.
At first, Janelle plays Bron’s betrayed business partner Andi with ice-cool contempt and then we see a more uncertain character.
Plus, it’s almost as funny when Janelle says “s***balls” as when Craig pronounces “fiddlesticks” in an American Southern drawl.
The glamorous sets were made for the big screen, so it is great that Netflix allowed Knives Out 2 into cinemas prior to streaming
Director and writer Rian Johnson doesn’t fall into the trap of trying to smuggle in a political message among the raucous entertainment.
When you peel back the Glass Onion what you get are more layers of fun.
AFTERSUN
(12A) 102mins
★★★★☆
IF a pal asks if you’d like to see their holiday videos, a very important alternative appointment is likely to spring to your mind
So, why would you want to watch Normal People actor Paul Mescal playing a young dad on a break in Turkey with his daughter where nothing much happens?
The answer is that Aftersun is one of the most beautiful and affecting films I have seen this year.
That is largely due to the incredible performance of Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio, who plays the sweet 11-year-old Sophie.
Frankie lights up the screen with her solar- powered smile and obvious love for her troubled dad
Meanwhile, Mescal tunes in to all the complexities of Calum, a man with emotional issues that are never fully explained.
Even most of the supporting cast feel authentic, which must be down to the considerable talents of Scottish first-time director Charlotte Wells.
Most impressively, the filmmaker understands that a soundtrack is not just background music.
The memory of Queen and David Bowie’s Under Pressure in the final, moving scene will live on well after you return to everyday life.
THE MENU
(15) 106mins
★★★☆☆
ANYONE who has dined at a fancy restaurant with “artisan” ingredients and said, “Is that it?” when side vegetables turns out to be one shredded carrot will empathise with Anya Taylor-Joy’s character in this dark satire.
She plays straight-talking Margot who is unimpressed by the very exclusive eatery she is taken to by Nicholas Hoult’s food pseud Tyler.
Like many posh dining experiences, the starter is the best part of The Menu.
We begin with plenty of laughs at the expense of Tyler prattling on about “food profiles” and in response to Margot’s more reasoned assessment of the deeply unpleasant staff.
While Tyler thinks Ralph Fiennes’s chef Slowik is a “genius”, she deems him a “p****”.
Then we reach the main course of violence and social commentary.
It becomes clear the customers have been selected by Slowik for an evening out no one would pay for.
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Hoult, Fiennes and Taylor-Joy are brilliant, but The Menu suffers from a heavy helping of self-satisfaction.
As a result, the just deserts served at the end left me wishing for something more substantial.
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