"If we had only angels as customers, we'd have no customers at all."
In Oscar-winning writer Graham Moore's directorial debut The Outfit, an expert cutter must outwit a dangerous group of mobsters in order to survive a fateful night. Last week, I was able to see an advanced screening of this movie with Graham Moore in the audience followed by a Q&A. The trailer made it look mediocre at best, but the talent and Graham Moore's name brought some interest. He won his Oscar a few years back with his screenplay for The Imitation Game, a solid movie. I was interested to see how his directorial skills would be since we already know he's a good writer. Though his skills aren't completely refined, The Outfit surprised me a lot. Moore takes inspiration from classic film noir and Chicago's history with mobs to create a story full of twists and turns. The screenplay is really good. It's fun to see how everything plays out after each little detail is revealed. With how many turns it takes, it's hard to see the outcome in a good way. The dialogue is sharp, there's enough humor and enjoyability to the tense situation, and the story is precise. The screenplay outdoes the movie as a whole.
Moore has a vision for this movie that's almost out of his reach. He has the skills and resources, but his writing overpowers that. There's basic things that needed work, though it's easy to ignore. He has trouble with pacing at times, mainly with his reliance of the twists. It's a great start and I think with another movie or two, he'll be a pretty good director. He's great at working with the cast. Mark Rylance does an excellent job in the lead role. Not that he'd ever do poorly, but he's so much fun to watch. His character is compelling and one that leaves you thinking after the credits roll. Other standouts include Zoey Deutch, Dylan O'Brien, and Johnny Flynn. The ensemble is great. The crew behind the production also do a good job. The set is pleasing to look at. The costumes, obviously, are good. Alexandre Desplat scores the feature. I could recognize his style right away and starts off the year with a solid addition. Overall, The Outfit leaves you with a high of enjoyment. It's so easy to get caught into which is one of its best elements. A few aspects need work, but the overall result is solid. I would really like to rewatch it and see what new things I learn. It's not playing everywhere, but it should be on VOD soon.
In Oscar-winning writer Graham Moore's directorial debut The Outfit, an expert cutter must outwit a dangerous group of mobsters in order to survive a fateful night. Last week, I was able to see an advanced screening of this movie with Graham Moore in the audience followed by a Q&A. The trailer made it look mediocre at best, but the talent and Graham Moore's name brought some interest. He won his Oscar a few years back with his screenplay for The Imitation Game, a solid movie. I was interested to see how his directorial skills would be since we already know he's a good writer. Though his skills aren't completely refined, The Outfit surprised me a lot. Moore takes inspiration from classic film noir and Chicago's history with mobs to create a story full of twists and turns. The screenplay is really good. It's fun to see how everything plays out after each little detail is revealed. With how many turns it takes, it's hard to see the outcome in a good way. The dialogue is sharp, there's enough humor and enjoyability to the tense situation, and the story is precise. The screenplay outdoes the movie as a whole.
Moore has a vision for this movie that's almost out of his reach. He has the skills and resources, but his writing overpowers that. There's basic things that needed work, though it's easy to ignore. He has trouble with pacing at times, mainly with his reliance of the twists. It's a great start and I think with another movie or two, he'll be a pretty good director. He's great at working with the cast. Mark Rylance does an excellent job in the lead role. Not that he'd ever do poorly, but he's so much fun to watch. His character is compelling and one that leaves you thinking after the credits roll. Other standouts include Zoey Deutch, Dylan O'Brien, and Johnny Flynn. The ensemble is great. The crew behind the production also do a good job. The set is pleasing to look at. The costumes, obviously, are good. Alexandre Desplat scores the feature. I could recognize his style right away and starts off the year with a solid addition. Overall, The Outfit leaves you with a high of enjoyment. It's so easy to get caught into which is one of its best elements. A few aspects need work, but the overall result is solid. I would really like to rewatch it and see what new things I learn. It's not playing everywhere, but it should be on VOD soon.