My biggest compliment to this film is that some mysteries love to whip twists out based on information the film never gave you, and act like it is genius they kept shit hidden from you. I really appreciate Rian giving you the pieces to the puzzle. He didn't withhold just to make himself feel smart.
But she didn't
Speaking of Blanc, one thing I didn't get is him hitting a piano note during the early interviews. Does he do it when they lie or something?
But she didn't
Speaking of Blanc, one thing I didn't get is him hitting a piano note during the early interviews. Does he do it when they lie or something?
But she didn't
Speaking of Blanc, one thing I didn't get is him hitting a piano note during the early interviews. Does he do it when they lie or something?
Some nice catches there, thanks. Yeah, that ending is just *chef's kiss*. I loved it to bits. Craig really nailed his part as well. I loved his performance.My favorite film of the year (so far). The whole family saw it Thanksgiving weekend...and then all went again the following week. Just a joy from start to finish. Ana de Armas gives such an incredible performance, in a film filled with them.
Some random details spotted on repeat viewings, which I didn't see mentioned (apologies if I missed them):
-When Marta climbs through the secret window, she steps OVER the window sill, so it can't be her mud print left there. To seal it home, when we see Ransom go through the window near the end, his heel clips the sill right where the mud was.
-The blackmail letter has clearly been opened already; the seal was broken and the adhesive dirty when Marta opens it.
-Linda saying you need to find a "game" to communicate with Harlon -> Linda standing at a window holding a handful of his secret messages (some with slightly burned pages) during the "I keep waiting for the big reveal" scene -> her revealing the message at the end = my favorite subplot. (Also, she's right - Marta's game with Harlon is Go.)
-When Marta initially leaves the night of Harlon's death, she announces the time as midnight, per Harlan's instructions. Walt then checks his watch. When we see Lt. Elliot go through Walt's version, we see a version of the scene where Marta does not mention the time as she leaves. Walt makes it sound like he noticed the time on his own to try and impress the detectives with his attention to detail. Love how the film shows the family to be unreliable narrators, and in so doing adds to their characters.
-The scene where Marta thinks she poisons Thromby is VERY carefully filmed, with a lot of focus on the bottles and Marta's instinctual handing of them.
Every clue Blanc outlines in his library scene is there. The film doesn't cheat and I love it for that.
Beyond the clues, I loved the scene of Harlon and Marta playing Go. The way they are talking, giving each other shit, just radiates with the warm affection of two close friends who know each other well. It's a sublimely written and acted scene, which quickly establishes both Harlon and (crucially) Marta as very likable characters.
"the Nazi boy masturbating in the bathroom" was the funniest line reading I've seen this year, and the donut-in-the-donut bit the funniest writing. Craig was having an absolute hoot the entire film.
THAT CLOSING SHOT holy shit. I nearly leaped out of my seat, so good.
I think that's really why I like it so much. It doesn't try to give you whiplash with a back and forth guessing game. It being more straightforward and focusing on the characters was just what I needed.A very fun ride. The mystery itself is rather barebone and basic but the human drama all around it is very good.
My biggest compliment to this film is that some mysteries love to whip twists out based on information the film never gave you, and act like it is genius they kept shit hidden from you. I really appreciate Rian giving you the pieces to the puzzle. He didn't withhold just to make himself feel smart.
My favorite film of the year (so far). The whole family saw it Thanksgiving weekend...and then all went again the following week. Just a joy from start to finish. Ana de Armas gives such an incredible performance, in a film filled with them.
Some random details spotted on repeat viewings, which I didn't see mentioned (apologies if I missed them):
-When Marta climbs through the secret window, she steps OVER the window sill, so it can't be her mud print left there. To seal it home, when we see Ransom go through the window near the end, his heel clips the sill right where the mud was.
-The blackmail letter has clearly been opened already; the seal was broken and the adhesive dirty when Marta opens it.
-Linda saying you need to find a "game" to communicate with Harlon -> Linda standing at a window holding a handful of his secret messages (some with slightly burned pages) during the "I keep waiting for the big reveal" scene -> her revealing the message at the end = my favorite subplot. (Also, she's right - Marta's game with Harlon is Go.)
-When Marta initially leaves the night of Harlon's death, she announces the time as midnight, per Harlan's instructions. Walt then checks his watch. When we see Lt. Elliot go through Walt's version, we see a version of the scene where Marta does not mention the time as she leaves. Walt makes it sound like he noticed the time on his own to try and impress the detectives with his attention to detail. Love how the film shows the family to be unreliable narrators, and in so doing adds to their characters.
-The scene where Marta thinks she poisons Thromby is VERY carefully filmed, with a lot of focus on the bottles and Marta's instinctual handing of them.
Every clue Blanc outlines in his library scene is there. The film doesn't cheat and I love it for that.
Beyond the clues, I loved the scene of Harlon and Marta playing Go. The way they are talking, giving each other shit, just radiates with the warm affection of two close friends who know each other well. It's a sublimely written and acted scene, which quickly establishes both Harlon and (crucially) Marta as very likable characters.
"the Nazi boy masturbating in the bathroom" was the funniest line reading I've seen this year, and the donut-in-the-donut bit the funniest writing. Craig was having an absolute hoot the entire film.
THAT CLOSING SHOT holy shit. I nearly leaped out of my seat, so good.
I took it as him going in on the whole "it's not the crime, it's the coverup" idea that's quite relevant in our country right now.Honestly the fact that the actual death is shown so soon in the film confused me, but the story afterwards made the entire film even better. I went with my girlfriend today and I am going to take my mother next weekend. This was a great film.
Am I the only one who tacitly understood that Marta and Blanc were in cahoots? He figures it out mid-time and confronts her with the truth, and asks her for a cut to complement her alibi and incriminate Ransom. And re-watched it again with this theory in mind and it works just as well.
I got the feeling that this will be further explained in a subsequent cut and a way for Rian to surprise audiences.
... I loved the scene of Harlon and Marta playing Go. The way they are talking, giving each other shit, just radiates with the warm affection of two close friends who know each other well. It's a sublimely written and acted scene, which quickly establishes both Harlon and (crucially) Marta as very likable characters.
They're both excellent actors, and could easily pull it off anyway, but there's a certain magic you can sense when two actors have a genuinely good relationship off camera. I think it was clear that de Armas and Plummer got along famously while shooting the movie, and their scenes together feel so much more natural as a result.-Similar to the above, the scene with Marta and Thromby Sr. was just fantastic. Really sold their relationship and created genuine sympathy for Marta. Probably one of the best scenes in the film, and couldn't have come at a better time (I'll get to that in the negatives).
He confesses killing Fran, not Harlan.I just saw it and thought it was a hoot. My only gripe is that once it's revealed early on that Harlan killed himself as a result of mixed bottles, the supporting cast falls to the backside and Marta becomes such a big focus that they get lost. It also eliminates a good amount of suspects so you aren't as on your toes. Still, the attention to detail is great as the film does not cheat you at all. I called certain things, but never called Ransom being the murderer. Of course, he felt like the obvious choice since he had the most to gain and had prior knowledge about the will. But, since he was so obvious a suspect I didn't believe it was him, which of course it was.
I knew that despite Marta was confessing something was wrong because at the very start of the film its stated quite clearly that she always leaves her medical bag at Harlan's. Thus, when she thought the bottles got switched I knew something was likely up and she may not have killed him. But, the theory I had for a long time was that Harlan wasn't dead and he was just playing an elaborate murder mystery on his family to see who deserved to be in his will. I figured he'd switched the bottles and made Marta think she killed him, afterall his plan was to elaborate and specific to come up with on the fly.
As I said, I never would've guessed Harlan orchestrated the murder and later attempts to expose Marta.
That doesn't make any sense, why would Ransom confess then?
Speaking of needing to watch it again, I was right up in the neckbreaker seats staring up at the screen and could not for the life of me read what the note in invisible ink said at the end. I missed that entire subplot's resolution, so if someone could help me out I'd appreciate it!
What a massively overrated and generally boring movie. Went on Saturday night and almost fell asleep. Definitely not something I will watch again.
She didn't actually do anything that obstructed the investigation. If anything her actions kept them on the right track the entire time, had she not done what she had done they would have arrested the wrong person and the killer gone free.End movie spoiler question
I couldn't get over this how everyone just casually dismissed her actions throughout the movie at the end.Marta may be innocent in terms of murder but how is it possible she's not guilty of obstruction of justice, lying to the police and withholding of evidence?
I disagree. She lied when she said she didn't know anything, hid the whole charade and even ruined the 'crime scene' with the mud footprints. It was only by accident she wasn't guilty of killing him, but she was clearly acting in bad faith the whole time.She didn't actually do anything that obstructed the investigation. If anything her actions kept them on the right track the entire time, had she not done what she had done they would have arrested the wrong person and the killer gone free.
The story here was just so clever and well put together. I thought it was going to be this Columbo type film after Marta's initial flashback and it played out that way the entire time. I figured the big moment would be Blanc having to decide between the truth and doing what's right by everyone involved, but then the curveball comes and the rainbow lands where you should have expected it to land at the start, but were led to believe was a red herring.
The story here is just so incredibly well put together, the final twist is just immaculate.
It makes me wonder what Meg was after if she had still not graduated after five years...
1. Was she in on the scheme to keep double dipping, which would end on graduation?
2. Wanted to keep living the college life?
Edit: But #2 doesn't explain revealing info on Marta's mother after Marta offered to help on phone. Unless it really was just pressure from family.
The story here was just so clever and well put together. I thought it was going to be this Columbo type film after Marta's initial flashback and it played out that way the entire time. I figured the big moment would be Blanc having to decide between the truth and doing what's right by everyone involved, but then the curveball comes and the rainbow lands where you should have expected it to land at the start, but were led to believe was a red herring.
Randsom didn't leave any footprints on that walk, remember? Had she done nothing, they'd have gotten the wrong person.I disagree. She lied when she said she didn't know anything, hid the whole charade and even ruined the 'crime scene' with the mud footprints. It was only by accident she wasn't guilty of killing him, but she was clearly acting in bad faith the whole time.
She was obfuscating a crime she didn't commit against a person who literally instructed her to get away with the crime.I disagree. She lied when she said she didn't know anything, hid the whole charade and even ruined the 'crime scene' with the mud footprints. It was only by accident she wasn't guilty of killing him, but she was clearly acting in bad faith the whole time.
Ransom never left footprints.I disagree. She lied when she said she didn't know anything, hid the whole charade and even ruined the 'crime scene' with the mud footprints. It was only by accident she wasn't guilty of killing him, but she was clearly acting in bad faith the whole time.