If you will end up posting a diatribe on how it took too long before the murderer revealed itself in the movie like conservative pundit Ben Shapiro did recently, you have no business watching this film.
Director Rian Johnson admits having been inspired by murder-mystery author Agatha Christie in making the sequel to the critically acclaimed Knives Out.
Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery Official Trailer
Thus, it is very important to understand when there is a who-dunnit element and details withheld for a long period, it is typical for this kind of genre to do such a thing. Big reveals are pretty common and designed to evoke maximum shock and awe from the audience in a movie like this.
One can’t help but notice the similarities of the character played by Edward Norton, Miles Bron to the mercurial real life billionaire Elon Musk. This must be what triggered Shapiro’s heated criticism of Johnson’s caricature of the controversial billionaire.
Daniel Craig is the man
Silly political commentary aside, I must say the performance of ex-James Bond Daniel Craig stood out. Among the star studded cast, there was no one close to his colorful take on the lead character Detective Benoit Blanc.
His Kentucky southern drawl confuses the senses that expect a Scouse accent from the UK based actor. He was believable even though he admitted forgetting the accent he used when he filmed Knives Out.
Craig’s Detective Blanc is as fascinating as the much celebrated character Sherlock Holmes. There was no dull moment where the southern detective appeared. The story works because Daniel Craig is the perfect casting for it.
All-star cast
It’s an all-star cast with Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Madelyn Cline and the terrific Janelle Monae. Ethan Hawke even had a cameo appearance, however insignificant.
Edward Norton is perfect as the villain. The genius billionaire albeit under false pretense as he is portrayed to be a manipulating sociopath who stole ideas while ingratiating himself to Andi Brand’s (Monae) friends turned associates.
His portrayal brings back memories of his unforgettable roles in the Birdman and Primal Fear where his characters seem unassuming at first but later reveals something more sinister. Enjoyed Bautista’s obsessive and a tad off kilter influencer character Duke Cody. Kate Hudson was excellent as hopelessly superficial Birdy Jay.
Finally, Kathryn Hann was scary and intense. She was really good in Wandavision so seeing her in this anti-hero kind of character is very enjoyable.
Monalisa smiles
Without giving away much, I found myself appreciating the artistry behind the Monalisa painting even more. The way they seamlessly set up this piece of art as part of an ensemble cast made it more interesting. It was the centerpiece in Miles Bron’s (Norton) empire so its climactic end was very satisfyingly punk rock.
Truth be told, it never really interested me to watch Knives Out when it came out in 2019 but after watching Glass Onion, I just had to see if it was as good.
4 out 5 stars!
