Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

 

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the sequel to the 2019 film in which a detective is invited to the home of a tech billionaire with many of his friends as it leads to a murder mystery and so much more. The film explores a billionaire who believes he is to be murdered but something else happens forcing a detective to take charge as the role of Benoit Blanc is reprised by Daniel Craig. Also starring Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Madelyn Cline, and Jessica Henwick. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is an exhilarating and riveting film from Rian Johnson.

Set during the 2020 pandemic, a tech billionaire invites his closest friends to his island for a getaway weekend to solve his own murder mystery with the renowned detective Benoit Blanc being a surprise guest where he realizes something is wrong. It is a film that explore the world of the rich in which five people who are either famous or are influential go to this Greek island to meet their friend to celebrate the launch of a new formula yet things don’t go well where everyone has a motive. Rian Johnson’s screenplay has an offbeat structure though much of its narrative is straightforward as it involves these five people who are all close friends with this tech billionaire in Miles Bron (Edward Norton) as they’ve all become successful because of him. Among those he invites are his head scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), the governor of Connecticut in Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), controversial fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and men’s right influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) while Jay brings her longtime assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) and Cody brings his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline).

Another invitation was sent to Bron’s former business partner in Alpha co-founder Cassandra “Andi” Brand (Janelle Monae) who reluctantly goes while an additional invitation was sent to Blanc where Bron has no clue who sent that invitation. The weekend getaway isn’t just a reunion between old friends who all met at a bar they used to hang out but also to announce the launch of a new alternative fuel that Bron wants to present to the world much to the concerns of both Toussaint and Debella believing that this fuel is dangerous. Johnson’s script doesn’t just play into this event where Bron is expected to be murdered only for the night to not go as planned. It’s also in the characters as Debella’s governor campaign was funded by Bron as she reluctantly allows him to create a factory for his new fuel while Toussaint is also someone who raises concerns about the fuel yet is forced to cover up for him to save his reputation. Jay is a politically-incorrect former model-turned-designer who is in trouble as she is being blackmailed to make a statement to save Bron while Cody is dealing with declining interest as he wants to be part of Bron’s new media outlet.

Then there’s Andi as she was the one introduced Bron to everyone and was the smartest person around until Bron became powerful and she was forced out of the company they created with Cody, Debella, Jay, and Toussaint testifying on his behalf to get Andi out. The script also play into this island that these people are in, that also has another guest in a slacker named Derol (Noah Segan) who just lazes around and doesn’t do anything, as it’s run by this alternative fuel that Bron believes will create good yet when a key character dies. Everything becomes questionable but also raises a lot of questions about why Bron wanted to be the victim in a play-murder mystery where nearly everyone on this island has a motive in wanting to kill him. Yet, it is Blanc that is trying to figure things out but there is questions into how he got an invitation that is revealed in the second half as it plays into more intrigue while raising the stakes into the suspense and drama itself.

Johnson’s direction is definitely stylish not just for its playful sense of intrigue but also setting it almost entirely in this Greek island as it is shot on location in the island of Septses in Greece with some interior scenes set in New York City shot on location in Belgrade. Yet, the film opens with Cody, Debella, Jay, and Toussaint each receiving a big box as they call each other that is revealed to be a mysterious series of mini-games that ultimately unveils this invitation. It then cuts to a scene of Andi in a garage with the box herself as she just smashes it with a hammer while Blanc’s first scene is him in a bathtub playing a game with some celebrities on his laptop is the moment he gets the mysterious invite. While a lot of Johnson’s compositions are straightforward with its approach to wide and medium shots to establish the locations but also in scenes that are showed from one perspective and then be shown in another perspective from another character that wasn’t shown onscreen.

Johnson also maintains attention to detail when it comes to close-ups or shots that was shown previously in a scene be shown again where it is all about the small details. Notably in some of the dialogue with Blanc being someone who is a lot smarter than people realize yet has his limits in serving justice since he’s out of his jurisdiction to do something because he’s in another country. Bron’s house itself is a character in the film where the centerpiece of it is the model of a large glass onion on top of the house while the dining room features the actual painting of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa that Bron had purchased from the Lourve. The house does play into this metaphor of the glass onion where there are many layers but the center of it is where the truth is held as it leads to this climax. Even as the many characters in the film are all guilty of something with some coming clean yet others are unwilling to come clean in order to save themselves as it play into people of wealth as they’re more concerned with maintaining their reputations and power instead of doing the right thing. Overall, Johnson crafts a rapturous and evocative film about a detective who is invited to an island for a murder mystery game only for things to go wrong with everyone being a suspect.

Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful and natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Bob Ducsay does brilliant work with the editing with its emphasis on rhythmic cutting to play into the suspense as well as a few montages for some of the film’s humorous moments. Production designer Rick Heinrichs, with set decorator Elli Griff and supervising art director Andrew Bennett, does excellent work with the look of Bron’s lavish home including his glass onion office room with all of its gadgets and other aspects of the home itself. Costume designer Jenny Eagan does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish look of Byrd and Andi as well as the more casual look of the other characters.

Hair/makeup designer Jeremy Woodhead does terrific work with the look of the characters in a flashback scene of how they met in the late 90s/early 2000s and they would look in the present. Special effects supervisor Paul Stephenson, along with visual effects supervisors Fabricio de Vasconcellos Baessa Antonio, Geoffrey Basquin, Sameer Malik, David Sadler-Coppard, Boyd Shermis, and Erik Winquist, does nice work with some of the visual effects relating to this hydrogen-based fuel substance as well as some elements of set dressing for some of the scenes in Greece. Sound designer Josh Gold and co-supervising sound editor Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound in the way a strange hourly dong sound appears as well as other elements of sound of how things sound from afar in a particular scene and how it would sound up close.

The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is incredible for its luscious music score that is filled with Eastern European-inspired orchestral arrangements with its strings, harpsichords, and bombastic percussions as it adds to the suspense and drama as it is a highlight of the film while music supervisor Julie Glaze Houlihan creates a soundtrack that features a couple of songs by David Bowie plus the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nat King Cole, Toots and the Maytals, and in the film’s closing credits is the where the film’s title comes from in a song by the Beatles.

The casting by Bret Howe and Mary Vernieu is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Dallas Roberts as Debella’s husband, Jackie Hoffman as Cody’s mother, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the voice of Miles’ clock in the hourly dong, and Noah Segan as a slacker living in Miles’ home who doesn’t really do anything other than be a comic relief. Madelyn Cline is fantastic as Cody’s girlfriend Whiskey who seduces Miles for her own reasons while dealing with the chaos that is happening as she ponders about her time with Cody. Jessica Henwick is terrific as Jay’s assistant Peg who often has to clean her boss’s messes while also wondering the decisions that Jay often makes as she is sort of a conscious in the film. Dave Bautista is excellent as Duke Cody as a video-game Twitch streamer/men’s rights activist who is dealing with declining interest as he hopes to be part of Bron’s new media outlet but also carries some guilt as it relates to Andi. Kate Hudson is brilliant as Birdie Jay as a former-model-turned fashion designer who often says stupid and politically-incorrect things unaware of their meanings as she is dealing with her own scandals where she is being blackmailed by Bron knowing it will ruin her.

Kathryn Hahn is amazing as Governor Claire Debella of Connecticut who worries about Bron’s new idea knowing it will cause trouble but is forced to give in so that she can save her political career. Leslie Odom Jr. is superb as Lionel Toussaint as Bron’s head scientist who is aware of the dangers of this new creation that Bron is trying to push yet has to sit back and be quiet due to the fact that he also has a reputation to protect. Edward Norton is incredible as Miles Bron as a billionaire/tech mogul who has invited his friends to his island as he hopes to offer them a glimpse into the future into a new hydrogen-based alternative fuel believing it will help the world unaware of its dangers while is also arrogant in his beliefs and ideals that makes him a major target towards his old friends.

Janelle Monae is phenomenal as Cassandra “Andi” Brand as Bron’s former business partner who gets a reputation as she is often seen from afar and is quiet until when she decides to speak while Monae brings a lot of layers into her performance that is full of humor but also some depth into a woman who felt cheated as well as wanting some idea of justice. Finally, there’s Daniel Craig in a sensational performance as Benoit Blanc as the renowned detective who gets a mysterious invitation to Bron’s island while trying to uncover everything that is going on as he also has a lot of questions about everyone around him where Craig brings some humor as well as a lot of wit into his character that makes Craig a joy to watch while the scenes he has with Monae are also a joy in the way they help each other.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a spectacular film from Rian Johnson that is headed by great performances from Daniel Craig and Janelle Monae. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous locations, its approach to suspense and drama, and an exhilaratingly rich music score by Nathan Johnson. It is a film that isn’t just full of excitement and thrills but also a film that explores a group of people on an island dealing with a murder mystery and much more with a detective trying to solve it and uncover some dark truths. In the end, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a tremendous film from Rian Johnson.

Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - Looper - Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Knives Out - (Knives Out 3)

© thevoid99 2023

Boy Erased

 

Based on the memoir by Garrad Conley, Boy Erased is the story of a teenage boy who is sent to a gay conversion therapy center by his Baptist parents as he struggles with his sexuality while his parents cope with the decision they made. Written for the screen and directed by Joel Edgerton who also co-stars in the film, the film is an exploration of a young man who learns that he’s gay as he has trouble trying to not be who he is while befriending those struggling with their own sexual identity. Starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones, Madelyn Cline, and Michael “Flea” Balzary. Boy Erased is a compelling and somber film from Joel Edgerton.

Set in the early to late 2000s, the film revolves around an 18-year old boy whose father is a Baptist preacher as he is sent to a gay conversion therapy center where he struggles with its teachings. It’s a film that explores a young man dealing with his own sexual identity as he is sent to this gay conversion therapy center where he would spend much of the day in classes and then stay at a nearby hotel with his mother at night. Joel Edgerton’s screenplay has a narrative that follows the trials and tribulation of Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) as the narrative moves back and forth on his time at the conversion therapy center as well as events that questioned about his homosexuality where Eamons tries to understand what got him into this place. Notably an incident in college where he was raped by a student named Henry (Joe Alwyn) who immediately regretted his actions yet would out Eamons to his parents.

For Eamons, the time at the center under the supervision of Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton) proves to be challenging as a couple of the attendees give Eamons advice on what to do and what not to do to get through this. Though he is ordered to not share anything about what he has to do at the center, Eamons’ mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman) does become concerned as she gets a look into the program’s handbook. While Eamons’ father in Marshall (Russell Crowe) is someone with good intentions and does want to help his son. He is someone that is from another world and doesn’t understand how to really help him as it does create a discord in his relationship with his son while being unaware of what really goes on at the center.

Edgerton’s direction is straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates as he is concerned with the world that Eamons is in which is the American South in Arkansas as it also showcases this world of gay conversion therapy centers that really try to suppress homosexuality. Shot largely on location in Atlanta with additional shots in New York City for a scene late in the third act, Edgerton does maintain a lot of simplicity into his compositions while he uses the wide and medium shots not just to get a scope of a certain location or a room but also into some of the therapy sessions that Victor tries to instill upon his attendees. There are also some close-ups to play into some of the intimate moments as well as medium shots where Edgerton would play into Eamons’ relationship with his parents as they are concerned with his mother being the one trying to understand what is happening. There are also a few tracking shots in scenes at Marshall’s car dealership as well as areas in the therapy center where Edgerton does infuse a bit of style. Still, Edgerton maintains that sense of unease in the drama such as a confessions scene where an attendee has to do a speech about his or her feelings and why that person is at the center.

Edgerton also play into the sense of growing discomfort that also include some of Eamons’ flashbacks about his arrival in college where he met Henry as well as a time where he went to an art show and met an artist. These two flashbacks along with a scene in high school with his then-girlfriend Chloe (Madelyn Cline) do emphasize his growing sexual confusion while there is also a scene in the third act where Eamons watches uncomfortably when an attendee in Cameron (Britton Sear) is accosted for failing an exercise and is then humiliated in front of family, attendees, and others in a scene that is just terrifying. It is a key moment in the film that raises questions into these methods that Sykes and his group are doing with an even more troubling aftermath that would affect Eamons and his relationship with his father though its conclusion is more about the chance of understanding and reconciliation. Overall, Edgerton crafts a riveting yet heart-wrenching film about a young man’s experience at a gay conversion therapy center.

Cinematographer Eduard Grau does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it has elements of style with its emphasis on low-key lights for some of the scenes at night as well as some interior scenes in the day. Editor Jay Rabinowitz does brilliant work with the editing as it features stylish usage of jump-cuts as well as a slow-motion sequence while. Production designer Chad Keith, with set decorators Mallorie Coleman and Adam Willis plus art director Jonathan Guggenheim, does amazing work with the look of the center including its main hall as well as the home where Eamons and his family live in. Costume designer Trish Summerville does fantastic work with the costumes that is mostly casual with the exception of the clothes that Nancy wears.

Makeup artist Kyra Panchenko does nice work with the look of Nancy from her hairstyle as it play into that world of the American South. Visual effects supervisors Eran Dinur and Chris LeDoux do terrific work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it is largely set dressing in some parts of the film’s location. Sound editor Glenfield Payne does superb work with the sound in capturing the sparse atmosphere of the center in its main hall as well as the way music is presented on the radio or at a concert. The film’s music by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurrians is wonderful for orchestral score that help plays into the drama while music supervisor Linda Cohen assembles a soundtrack that features some Christian music and Christian rock but also music from MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Jonsi, Underworld, Tracy Lawrence, Seether, and Troye Sivan.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Madelyn Cline as Eamons’ girlfriend early in the film Chloe, Jesse LaTourette as a female attendee at the center in Sarah, Theodore Pellerin as an artist Eamons met in Xavier, Britton Sear as a young center attendee in Cameron who is struggling with the methods of the program, Troye Sivan as an attendee in Gary who tells Eamons to stick with the program and not be noticed, and Cherry Jones as a doctor in a flashback who is concerned with Eamons’ decision to go to the center as she suggests that it’s best to not go. Xavier Dolan is superb as an attendee in Jon who is hell-bent on being fixed as he refuses to be touched while Michael “Flea” Balzary is fantastic as a tough-minded counselor in Brandon who emphasizes on masculinity to help out with the therapy through some extreme physical challenges. Joe Alwyn is excellent as Henry as a young college student Eamons meets where things don’t exactly go well as he would end up making things worse.

Joel Edgerton is brilliant as Victor Sykes as the director of the conversion therapy center who believes he is trying to help these young people as he is someone with good intentions but his methods end up being questionable and at times overwhelming to the point of abuse. Russell Crowe is amazing as Eamons’ father Marshall as a Baptist pastor who also runs an auto dealership who is concerned for his son yet is uncertain in what to do as Crowe does bring in this complexity into a man that does love his son but is also a man of God as he’s someone that is conflicted where Crowe plays him with great restraint as well as be someone that is full of fear though his heart is in the right place.

Nicole Kidman is radiant as Eamons’ mother Nancy as this air of warmth and understanding as a woman who does love her faith but she also loves her son as she accompanies him to the center while trying to figure out what they’re doing as Kidman just has this air of grace while knowing when to be the mama bear. Finally, there’s Lucas Hedges in a phenomenal performance as Jared Eamons as an 18-year old kid who is struggling with his sexual identity as well as his own experiences with homosexuality where he’s unsure if he’s done anything wrong while also dealing with the intense therapy sessions that has gotten him more confused as it is a career-defining performance from Hedges.

Boy Erased is an incredible film from Joel Edgerton that features great performances from Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, and Nicole Kidman. Along with its supporting cast, amazing visuals, and its themes about sexual identity and its conflicts with faith, the film is a unique character study of a young man trying to understand himself but also in the world that he’s raised in and their reluctance to accept who he is. In the end, Boy Erased is a phenomenal film from Joel Edgerton.

© thevoid99 2021