Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery ()

 Daniel Craig, once again, plays Benoit Blanc, in Glass Onion,  a sequel to Knives Out.  Craig's is hilarious as a world-famous detective, and with the supporting staff, including  Edward Norton, as Myles Bron, Dave Bautista, as Duke, Kate Hudson, as Birdie, and Kathryn Hahn, as Claire, who support the twisted plot of lies, misunderstandings and mistaken identities.  There are some very funny moments which keeps the story interesting in this mystery/comedy.    Glass Onion brings in a supporting cast of suspects, and they all find themselves  on a billionaire's private island in Greece, where Benoit Blanc is sent to figure out what they're all up to and solve the mystery.  There were some spots that I found a little boring, and the movie was a little overdone with some witless comedy, but overall lit was enjoyable and light and a funny mystery, if you like this genre.  This movie is better and more entertaining then many of the newer movies that have come to the screen.  

Moving on to Glass Onion, which I watched last night. Why, one might ask, would I bother since Craig’s performance was so hammy and abysmal? Because I thought he would drop his dreadful Southern accent (whose very bad idea was that?) or at least make an effort to improve. Surely these production companies have top dialect coaches and if Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) and Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs) can manage a southern accent, why not Craig? Who knows, but his accent slipped all over the place like soap in the shower and only added to the jarring issues that appeared.

This plot was more like the traditional Agatha Christie murder mystery. A sleazy tech billionaire, played by Ed Norton, invites a group of close friends to his getaway island for a murder mystery weekend. His death, to be exact. But interestingly, he is not the one murdered and before the group arrives on the island, one of them (who was actually murdered), miraculously appears on the pier to the shock and horror of several people. Somehow Benoit Blanc is invited. Again, can one go wrong with acting stalwarts like Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr, and an absolutely brilliant, scene-stealing Jackie Hoffman (playing Bautista’s Ma). Lest I forget, the original Mona Lisa painting gets a star spot, and the inimitable Angela Lansbury has a cameo. This plot was a little short on details but one soon surmises that Miles Bron’s friends are actually hugely dependent on him for their careers and will say and do anything to stay in his good books. The pace soon kicks off when one of the group dies, fatally poisoned by a celebratory drink. Mayhem, carnage, and a fiery meltdown ensue. Most watchable is Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay.

Daniel Craig is so bad in this rendition of a detective that he makes Kenneth Branagh’s attempts to play Hercule Poirot seem comparable to Sir Laurence Olivier. The Southern accent is worse than bad. I do not think it even exists in the canon of southern dialects. Half the time he is incomprehensible. Craig’s actual performance veered from slapstick clowning to over-the-top drama queen. I have faithfully watched all his James Bond movies, more out of loyalty to the brand than to the actor. Comedy is not his forte. It seems as if the director and the scriptwriter took bits from all the famous detectives that have gone before (Poirot, Holmes, Maigret, C. Auguste Dupin, Morse, Mason, Wexford, Dalgleish, et al.) and cobbled together an awful Frankenstein monster. However, given the ratings and box office takings, people love this mishmash of a detective. Who am I to judge, except to give my honest opinion.

I am playing devil’s advocate here, but I wonder when Daniel Craig and Hugh Grant will have to apologise to the woke Alphabet Soup mob for playing gay characters when neither of them is gay. I also found that angle annoying, irrelevant, and vaguely insulting to the gay community. Either this was an effort to be fully woke and ‘inclusive’ or this was an effort to lure the gay audience because the producers did not quite trust that gay viewers would watch it unless there was something in it for them. Anyone of any sexual orientation will tell you they watch a movie because they like an actor or a genre, not because they have to be persuaded. Even more bewildering is that Benoit Blanc's being gay has no bearing whatsoever on the character and what he does. If the door-opening scene had been cut, one would not know, and it would make no difference to the story.

I am not sure if I will watch another Benoit Blanc mystery. 

My Rating: 4.7/5

Rian Johnson's "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" is a dazzling and thoroughly entertaining sequel that not only matches the brilliance of its predecessor but also manages to surpass it in sheer complexity and social commentary.

Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film follows the eccentric detective Benoit Blanc as he finds himself invited to a private island getaway hosted by tech billionaire Miles Bron. Joined by a motley crew of Bron's closest friends and associates, Blanc is once again thrust into an intricate web of lies, deception, and murderous intrigue.

Daniel Craig effortlessly slips back into the role of Blanc, delivering an even more captivating and nuanced performance. His chemistry with the stellar ensemble cast, which includes standout turns from Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, and Edward Norton, is simply electrifying.

But where "Glass Onion" truly shines is in its razor-sharp social satire, which takes aim at the entitled, tech-savvy elite and their ability to manipulate the system to their advantage. Johnson's script is a dazzling display of intellect, seamlessly blending the murder mystery genre with biting social commentary on the corrosive effects of wealth, power, and the erosion of democratic institutions.

The film's stunning visual style, from the lavish set design to the impeccable cinematography, further enhances the sense of opulence and decadence that permeates the narrative. The intricate puzzle-like structure of the plot keeps the audience engaged and guessing, with twist after twist that will leave you both entertained and unsettled.

"Glass Onion" is a triumph of modern filmmaking, a murder mystery that not only delivers exhilarating thrills but also serves as a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on the state of our society. Rian Johnson has crafted a cinematic gem that cements the "Knives Out" franchise as one of the most compelling and relevant mystery series of our time.