Sharper: Uma Vida de Trapaças

This movie is clearly an 8, I suspect those giving it lower ratings can't appreciate a very well written character based film 🙄 cast is excellent and I only really worked out the twist as it happened. The story is split following each character in turn which helps develop the story as the film progresses and allows you to make the connections gradually revealing more info as you get into the film. If you are looking for action and large explosions don't bother but if you enjoy a good paced well written and crafted movie then go for it, you won't be disappointed. I really enjoyed it and for the life of me can't understand why it has an average of less than 7.

IN A NUTSHELL: The screenplay was written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, and was on the Blacklist of best-unproduced screenplays in 2020. It was directed by Benjamin Caron.

The story is about several con artists who take on some Manhattan billionaires.

We're told that a "sharper" is someone who lives by their wits.

THINGS I LIKED: The fantastic cast includes Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Jesse Smith, and Briana Middleton. They all do an excellent job.

The challenge is for the film to outwit its audience without our seeing what's going to happen because it's so obvious.

I love twists. There are lots of twists.

The party scene features Grammy Award-winner Samara Joy!

The filmmaking is stylish.

One of the characters asked another one which was her favorite movie. What would be YOUR answer? Comment below!

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There are a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of, especially as we try to figure out how everything worked.

Many conversations happen in whispers, often making it difficult to hear everything that's said.

It's helpful to know ahead of time that the story is not told in a chronological, linear way.

Acts 1 & 2 move fairly slowly but then speeds up in Act 3.

The movie thinks it's more clever than it really is.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

Unmarried couples sleep together.

Profanity, including quite a few F-bombs We see someone shoot and kill another person Bloody deaths.

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Sharper is a crime drama that follows four individuals involved in conspiracy, theft, and betrayal.

The plot follows a disjointed structure, where you spend four chapters with each of our main characters at different times in their lives. I really enjoyed this aspect as it made the narrative non-linear, forcing the audience to try to piece together the mystery as well as the chronological order of the film. This allure began to wear off after the third scene change, as it became quite predictable.

Our performances were pretty solid all around. Sebastian Stan is really good, and I am quite enjoying him in these more villainous roles, similar to his role in Fresh. Julian Moore and Briana Middleton were both highlights as well, their emotional range is fantastic. Justice Smith was okay at best.

Overall, this movie was an okay watch. It was paced pretty well for a two-hour runtime and had a lot of twists and turns throughout, even though the premise runs its course to absolute predictability by the third act.

Score: 64% Verdict: Decent.

Ignore the critics, this is a wonderfully entertaining thriller with more twists than a Coney-Island roller-coaster! All of the cast are *excellent* in their roles, and, while you can sorta see the end coming, it doesn't make it any less fun. Yes, the final twist is a bit over-the-top (and no, it wouldn't even remotely work in real-life), but don't let that stop you from watching this movie. A Mametesque (there, I had to say it) mash-up of Spanish prisoner meets House of Games by way of Perfect Murder, (and yes, there are a number of Hitchcockian psychological turns that make everything worthwhile.) See it with friends, while sipping a young, impetuous, spicy cab or merlot...

You're not gonna see anything too groundbreaking here, but Sharper can provide some higher class thrills and intelligence. I found this film to be pretty intriguing. There's a suave style to the film that makes some of the expected story beats a little more fun. The cast is pretty noteworthy, with Sebastian Stan the standout in my opinion. He plays these mysterious characters well and is always a pleasure to watch.

This is a bit of a surprising film for A24 given it isn't quite as highbrow or bizarre as most of their stuff, but they do manage to class up a straightforward story a bit. Sharper won't blow you away with stunning plot twists, but it's a solid hit for Apple TV+.