Coup!

A friend told me I must see this one, so I rented on a whim, went in with zero expectations. And what a treat this movie was. Somewhere between comedy and thriller, Coup's tone is one I'd call anarchic. You see that tone in the script, the music, and in all the performances (Skarsgard is really strong here). Don't want to spoil anything. So suffice to say, the story had me rooting for one character only to pull the rug out in a way I never saw coming. Thank you Lilly for recommending this to me. And returning the favor, I'm recommending Coup! To anyone reading this. Especially if you're into films like The Menu, you'll love Coup!

It is 1918 and the world is at war. Floyd Monk (Peter Sarsgaard) is a wannabe revolutionary who complains that the Spanish Flu is killing more people than the war. He argues for a full shutdown which can be seen as treasonous. He becomes a chef in a large estate on an island. The owner Jay Horton (Billy Magnussen) and his wife Julie (Sarah Gadon) have two young children. Jay insists on not killing anything and being vegetarian. Floyd keeps stirring up conflicts as he hides from the authorities.

Sarsgaard is great and playful. This story has a new resonance after COVID. The black humor doesn't always work. The story is a little rambling and a bit disconnected. I would like the servants to be more specific. The wife needs an extra scene or two. This is interesting although it does need something more.

The film takes advantage of a century-old event to deal with a subject that could not be more relevant today.

This film shows in a casual and clever way the class society and at the same time presents an alternative, which only emerges through a social crisis.

It is structured like a thriller and manages to maintain a constant tension, but includes various aspects of living together as a society, without falling into a black and white thinking.

Instead of showing that the rich can't help exploiting their power and giving them some kind of legitimacy, as in films like "Triangle of Sadness", the film finds a much more clever solution without being cautionary.

And not ship wrecked on a tropical island, but stranded on a city island in an ocean of the Spanish flu. Instead of a steadfastly loyal, upstanding butler, we have a roguish, scheming cook, wheedling his way into an upper class family. Of course the comparisons only go so far, Coup is a far darker more sinister affair than the 1957 classic comedy. The social commentary presented here is apparent from the start, there is little in the way of a gentle progression as circumstances worsen.

The master to servant relationship on which the plot is hung is effective enough, but both characters have such unlikeable traits, that it may be hard to whole heartedly root for either in this war of the classes.

It's entertaining enough, but the 98 minutes runtime seemed to drag at times, the ending was well done, and satisfying, depending on your social justice standpoint I guess?

Watched this film on TV, Streaming. Cast was ok but nothing sharp or flashy. 1 annoying point is like so many other 2020s films, WAY to dark, sets interiors not lit. Why is this common? Monk was a decent character but not able maintain interest. The WW1 plague plot line & 1918 location looked well crafted but the scenes did not pull me in. I did enjoy some of the acting, comedy scenes for what they offered. Instead of a dark comedy, this movie should of worked as a mystery or maybe a thriller, horror film format. The large estate locale would add a element of tension, suspense, mysteries I would think.