Coup de théâtre

I try to avoid trailers and promos so much so that I thought this was going to be a movie involving trains somehow like a biopic of whoever invented them, all I knew was Saoirse Ronan was in it. She was one of the few upbeat characters in it so she lit up the screen whenever she was on.

It's a movie that talks about itself throughout, it's a whodunnit film and as mentioned in the movie, once you see one you've seen them all. The plot of the movie is the plot of the theatre play and movie, that's inside the movie, so when a clue is revealed in one story you know it's the same for the other.

It's suspenseful throughout but not really engaging enough to keep you on your seat. You're not really invested in any of the characters unless you're already a fan of the actors playing them, which I was. I've seen it compared to "knives out" but I don't think it's that good. Nothing really special about it because it just doesn't click, feels like it's supposed to though. There's a lot of funny bits that carry the film, but those feel like an accessory, not actually what the movie is supposed to be about, just something to elevate it. It's meant to be a mystery but the mystery doesn't do much.

It's made to be pretty simple and quirky, I think it would've been better if it took itself a little more seriously and maybe slowed down a bit. Funny and 1950's retro so there's things to love about it, but confused about what's it's meant to be so it feels all over the place.

I found this a really novel and almost throwback film with loads of great laughs and twists but never takes itself too seriously.

There is a really good cast with great characters, all bringing different things to the film. Having real life characters add something to the film as well.

I laughed a lot during the film with some of the characters and some of the jokes being very well done.

Its a reminder that there can be a great film made without the need for huge amounts of cgi, huge budgets and massive casts. This is just well written, well portrayed and with brilliant camera work, and just works really well.

It doesn't pretend to be high art. It's silly and enjoyable and was the equivalent of enjoying a good piece of cake - pleasurable but soon forgotten.

The performances are good and we loved the butler at the end. We could even guess some of the lines and also the ending, but it didn't matter. Yes, there were Wes Anderson type moments and yes, the make up and hair was wrong for the the period for Saoirse Ronan, and there was an absence of smoke in the pub etc it's supposed to be 1950s England... but I guess it was going for theatrical rather than realism.

If you want an easy going film that makes you laugh and smile - this is the film. (And so much better than the remakes of Agatha Christie)

I don't know if it's the cozy cinematography, the many tracking shots, or two actors that have been in a lot of his films, but this movie has a real whimsical, wholesome, Wes Anderson vibe to it and I liked it. Saoirse Ronan is incredibly cute and comical in her role as a apprentice cop learning the trade and trying to solve the mystery. Her puns in the beginning are pretty funny, and she just has such a sweet aura throughout that weirdly fits with the movie.

The film moves at a leisurely pace, almost like a British afternoon tea on a rainy day. Or drinking hot cocoa while watching an Agatha Christie murder mystery as the snow falls outside. That kind of vibe, and I'm here for it.

Oh, and we get to see Adrien Brody in a Grand Budapest Hotel-like rich jerk role, and it's pretty great.

A murder-mystery with Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan as the investigators. Who could resist such a premise? Not me. Since watching it I've heard it described as a very 'Wes Anderson' type film. I'm glad I didn't hear that before going in because I can't stand Anderson's films. I did quite enjoy this one though, so it would've been a false warning.

The chemistry between Ronan and Rockwell is what sells this. They nail it. I could watch these two on screen for a hundred more movies. The humour in the film is very clever. It may not make you laugh out loud all too often, but it will certainly bring a smile to your face.

The actual whodunit mystery itself is good, without being mind-blowing. It suffices in keeping the audience interested and curious while also giving the lead characters plenty of room to do their thing. This was a good one. 7/10.