Writer/director Rian Johnson has been an Agatha Christie fan since childhood. He always wanted to write a murder mystery, and thought of the idea for Knives Out ten years ago. However it was not until 2018 that he finally found a window of time to write it, in between finishing The Last Jedi and starting the Star Wars trilogy. This window generated a tight schedule to finish the script and shoot the movie, which may have been a blessing in disguise. Because of the short four-week shoot schedule, predominantly located in a great old Massachusetts mansion, he was able to assemble a spectacular cast.
Daniel Craig had been on Johnson’s wish list from the beginning to play laid back Southern detective Benoit Blanc. Due to a delay in the filming of the latest James Bond movie, Craig was suddenly available, and thrilled to take on a character so different from 007. Once he had Craig on board, Johnson built his cast around this exceptional British actor.
Chris Evans (Captain America) was likewise happy to play a complex and cynical prodigal son who never had to work for a living. Casting Director Mary Vernieu found the remarkable Cuban actress Ana de Armas, whose role of Marta is central to the story. De Armas, though not
interested in playing typical Latin roles, read the screenplay and found the role to be strong and multifaceted, so she accepted. Jamie Lee Curtis is sarcastically on point as the eldest daughter of the patriarch of the family, novelist Harlan Thrombey, played by the great Christopher Plummer. Toni Colette fashions the oldest daughter as a Gwynneth Paltrow type, carrying the weight of privilege. You could enjoy this movie in silence just by watching the faces, and the camera allows this, drawing you into their minds through their expressions. Each character is complex, unique and fascinating.
With this movie, Johnson creates a playground atmosphere where his cast can reach back to their childhood imagination and “act out” a story that comes alive as its own being. The movie has the exuberance of a high school play and the production value of a box office blockbuster. These colorful, “off the wall” characters strut and parry around their stage, the eccentric family mansion. As in Agatha Christie mysteries, the plot is set up as an enigma, and then pieces fall dramatically, eventually creating the end design. Not surprisingly, a game board is a critical piece in the unraveling of the clues. It becomes a symbol of the pieces that make up the story. The characters each tell the tale from their point of view.
It is a great feeling to see this classic universal mystery style reinvented against the backdrop of a contemporary sociological milieu. It’s a commentary on wealth and privilege done as a tongue-in- cheek, humorous parody. The mansion itself is really the most sympathetic and resilient character. You will recognize the traits of your friends (and enemies) in these people. It’s fun to see them as pieces in this game, reacting each in their own way as the mystery unfolds.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
