THE OUTFIT

Mark Rylance     Zoey Deutch     Dylan O’Brien     Johnny Flynn     Simon Russell Beale

            A lowly tailor plays a bait and switch game when he is involved in complicated situations with some of his customers, most of whom are criminals.  He can weave a convincing story on the spot, which saves his life numerous times and provides us with great entertainment.  Director Graham Moore (who wrote the script for The Imitation Game) and co-writer Johnathan McClain’s script is a wonder in itself with its constant situational changes suffused with threat and requiring immediate action—all while being intelligently calculated.  Background stories of all the main characters are dribbled out deliberately and explain why the person we see is who he/she is.  “Ah ha!” moments will occur throughout the viewing time for this movie, which is also part of its enjoyment.

            It seems as if the Leonard Burling character was written precisely for Mark Rylance.  As a soft-spoken British man outwardly unassuming ([tailoring] “isn’t art.  It’s a craft.”) he carries a big stick of craftmanship and wit that frequently take his listener off guard.  He knows how to charm and distract the most fearsome mobster into listening to his story as it is unfolding, and he knows how not to be seen slipping away for some contrivance that will be all-important later.  In addition to the plot, just observing him in action is fascinating.  Rylance is well known and respected internationally, most notably for his work in Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall, and this past year in Don’t Look Up in which he plays a less than admirable character to great effect.

            It is curious that the tailor allows a drop-box at the back of his shop for his star client mobster Roy Boyle’s (Beale) gang to communicate with one another and plan operations.  Burling makes no eye contact with them as they pass through his work room, being completely engrossed in his tailoring. His receptionist Mable (Deutch) resembles her boss in her astuteness and pleasant overlay, but she too is interesting to observe as the story unfolds.  In the end, we will see how all this fits together and makes sense.

            Composer Alexandre Desplat’s music and Dick Pope’s cinematography capture and elaborate upon The Outfit’s mood and suspenseful uncertainty in a way that makes it all of a piece.  

 

It’s always a joy to see a smart, clever person with a good heart in action.

 

Grade:  A                                 By Donna R. Copeland

EMMA

Anya Taylor-Joy     Tanya Reynolds     Josh O’Connor     Bill Nighy     Johnny Flynn

Mia Goth     Miranda Hart     Gemma Whelan     Rupert Graves     Amber Anderson     Callum Turner

     Based on a novel by Jane Austen and set in the nineteenth century in England, Emma. is a view mostly of the upper class. The character Emma (Taylor-Joy) embodies the period as a highly admired lady of the town who has been so indulged she comes across as superficial and vain.  Yet she fancies herself such a good judge of others’ character, she rushes into matching her friends up with one another.  Not only does she introduce them, but takes an active role in furthering their romantic relationships.  

     As one would expect, Emma makes some fateful mistakes along the way, misjudging who will be with whom.  Much of the story plays out like an English country dance with constantly changing partners.  That is, we see presumed partners through Emma’s eyes—until reality overcomes fantasy and all is settled in the end.  The one most surprised will be Emma herself.

     Emma. is so well cast, it becomes the film’s strongest asset, helping keep such a mannered story from becoming rather boring to the modern eye.  Taylor-Joy is beautiful and captures Emma’s personality in its mixture of well-intentioned kindness and condescension that stems from over-protection and indulgence.  Still, she maintains an aura of authority in her role as mistress of her father’s house.  

     Co-starring with Taylor-Joy is Johnny Flynn (as George Knightley), the epitome of a gentleman.  Knightley owns a manor brimming with fine art, but is sensitive and always kind and merciful. A neighbor and in-law of Emma and her father, he sees them daily and is Emma’s only critic.  Flynn is perfect for the role in his looks (not so handsome he becomes suspect) and his low-key, personable manner.

     Other prominent roles are carried by Mia Goth as Harriet, a naïve young woman Emma has decided to take under her wing to “make a lady” of her; Rupert Graves (as Mr. Weston) is an appealing “Mr. Nice Guy”, who is social and charming; Bill Nighy as Emma’s hypochondriacal father proves again his effectiveness in being a character actor; and Amber Anderson as the mysterious Jane Fairfax attracts the eye and plays the piano with flourish (Anderson is an accomplished pianist as well as an actor).

     For me, the music provided by David Schweitzer and Isobel Waller-Bridge (composer for “Fleabag” and sister of Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is a high point, coming in unexpectedly at times, religious choral music at other times, and lyrically sweet songs, such as the duet by Jane Fairfax and Johnny Flynn, “The Last Rose of Summer.”  

     I don’t think we really needed another remake of Emma, but director Autumn de Wilde and screenwriter Eleanor Catton have produced a worthy rendition of the Jane Austen classic.  Lovers of Austen’s work will likely be pleased with this update.  Others will not be so impressed.

Emma. is worthy of your attention if you are drawn to period pieces.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

BEAST

Jessie Buckley     Johnny Flynn     Geraldine James     Charley Palmer Rothwell     Trystan Graville

     Beast is a nifty thriller that sneaks up on you, leading you to think it’s about a maladjusted young adult woman who is rebellious because of how her family treats her.  Moll (Buckley) is clearly a misfit at home as she was earlier at school.  At school because of a murky incident in her past, at home because she has been labeled as “all bad” and her sister as “all good.”  Her sister is beautiful and living what seems to be a charmed life, which makes it easy for her to be charming.  On the other hand, Moll has more depth, is difficult to understand, and always looks as if she is hiding something—all of which combined makes her an easy target for others’ projections.

     For Moll’s birthday, her mother (James) has organized a big party, which Moll is enjoying, until her sister preempts it with the announcement that she and her husband are expecting twins.  The spotlight pivots in that direction (apparently something that has happened all too often in the family history), and Moll shrinks away.  She leaves the party, walks on the beach, and goes dancing at a bar until morning.  When she is walking toward home, she is waylaid by a man she was dancing with earlier, who pressures her to continue partying.  She is having trouble getting away from him when suddenly another man with a gun appears and chases him away.

     This is Pascal (Flynn), who immediately gives her the kind of attention she has craved all her life.  He seems to understand her without knowing much about her, boosts her self-esteem, and is funny and charming.  The problem is, he’s not in the same social class as Moll, and when he meets her family, her mother is disdainful.  But Moll and Pascal seem to have a special empathic connection with one another, perhaps because he is a current suspect in local murders, and Moll was once charged with threatening a fellow student.

     The beauty of this picture, written and directed by Michael Pearce, is the way in which this empathy between the two plays out over time.  The filmmakers keep the viewer in suspense until the very, very end of the story.  Buckley gives an artful performance in portraying a resentful, troubled woman, and Flynn is the embodiment of a male protector with the ability to sense whatever is needed and provide it with charm and sincerity, in an oily kind of way.  

Beast offers an entertaining, suspenseful ride that will keep you engaged while it touches on deeper psychological yearnings that make a person vulnerable to influences which may lead down a garden path…or may prompt surprising, decisive action.

Beast is a thriller with intelligence and creativity behind it.

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland