Review Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Master English Tailor Leonard (Mark Rylance) moved to Chicago for an unknown reason. Since arriving he opened his own shop, making custom suits for his —good and bad— clients. He never asks questions and remains a quiet observer of their behaviour. However, on this fateful night, he must outwit a bunch of dangerous mobsters in order to survive.
The Outfit is a witty, suspenseful and fun thriller with many twists and turns. Writer-Director Graham Moore, who brought us The Imitation Game, masterfully uses one setting. He turns the ordinary location of a tailor shop into a pressure-cooker that never lets go of tension. He achieves this through his suspenseful script, expert direction and captivating characters. Many of these characters aren’t what they appear to be, and the cast has fun with deceiving their audience.
At the center of the Film is Leonard, cast perfectly and played by Rylance. His signature cool, calm and collected persona lends to his character’s mystery. With each passing moment, Leonard intrigues the audience further. Moore, Co-Writer Johnathan McClain and Rylance leave hints to the enigma of this man. Allowing the audience an exciting game of finding the pieces of his puzzle.
Zoey Deutch gets in on deceiving the audience as Leonard’s Receptionist Mable, who is crafted to female archetypes used in prior gangster films. However, in the Final Act, they turn this archetype on its head making her an active member of the mystery. Deutch’s natural charm works well as Mable speaks of her desires to escape Chicago for a life travelling Europe. Additionally, it works at hiding the secrets that Mable holds.
Rounding-out the Cast is Dylan O’Brien and Johnny Flynn as the mobsters who take over the Tailor Shop. O’Brien works great as the something to prove Richie. Richie’s father is the mob boss and O’Brien is great at showing Richie’s desire to abandon his father’s shadow while wanting to make his father proud. And Flynn turns in a frightening performance as a gangster, proving worthy of the main villain role.
Topping it all off is the Cinematography and Score. The captivating Cinematography from Dick Pope gives off a nostalgia of classic mobster films. And the anxiety-inducing Score from Alexandre Desplat will have you on the edge of your seat.
Overall, The Outfit is a suspenseful ride and has as many suitable layers as a well-tailored suit.
Focus Features release THE OUTFIT on Friday, March 18, 2022.
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