No Sudden Move (2021)

Solid crime drama. True, not fast paced but great cast make up for it. You gotta pay attention, it's not too hard. Some reviewers are making it sound like Tenet level confusion. A good watch.

Fmovies: Steven Soderbergh's Neo-Noir begins with what seems like a simple set-up. In 50s Detroit, a low-level mobster (Brendan Fraser) hires three hoods (Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Kieran Culkun) to shake down an accountant (David Harbour) for some files in his office. Of course, nothing goes as planned.

What follows is a series of crosses, double-crosses and beyond. Ed Solomon's screenplay has enough twists and turns for a season's worth of a limited series. The plot certainly keeps the viewer on their toes and is never less than interesting, but at a certain point the momentum gets a bit slack. Some have compared the subtext of the script with Chinatown. The connection is obviously there, but, the constant churn of the stoyline blunts it's effectiveness. The Cinematography by Soderbergh (using his Peter Andrews pseudonym) is distracting with it's extreme wide lenses distorting the image. In a few wide shots, it's not ineffective, but, it's overuse doesn't work. And, "Andrews" also seems to be lighting the movie for film rather than digital which causes crushed shadow detail and too bright night exteriors.

The acting is what makes the movie worth seeing. In addition to the above mentioned, there are also nice turns by Ray Liotta, Amy Seimetz, Julia Fox, Jon Hamm and an unbilled significant cameo. At first the sight of Cheadle, Del Toro and Liotta may make one think that they are all a bit long in the tooth for their roles, but it works here. Their weary, haggard appearances make one believe that they are all just desperate enough to lay it on the line for one last gamble that will let them retire once and for all.

NO SUDDEN MOVE is a decent example of, more or less, straight storytelling for Soderbergh, even if his penchant for experimentation and subverting audience expectations get in the way of it being fully successful.

I made the mistake of watching this film after I read the reviews and expected them to be accurate. Big mistake. The story line is convoluted but the acting and camera work is first rate. Fans of noir will appreciate it. As a humorous aside, Jon Hamm comes very close to morphing into Don Draper near the end as he accepts a bottle of high end booze for his government work.

No Sudden Move fmovies. This movie starts out okay, but it really falls apart in the second half.

Characters are introduced in very clumsy ways throughout, and the story is very cliched. There are major pacing issues and there is very little time taken to build suspense or impart a proper sense of stakes to the film.

A lot of the main actors in this movie seem like they don't really want to be there and were just going through the motions. Ray Liotta and Don Cheadle especially seemed bored, and I can't blame them.

Not worth your time.

This is pitch black and pitch perfect. Soderbergh is a master of his craft and the film oozes wit and the bleak truth about the nature of our world.

Best enjoyed with a fine whiskey by your side, this is the world, as it is.

I don't usually post reviews but I felt compelled because of all the bad reviews. Yes its a complicated plot, but if you pay attention there are only one or two holes and I'm not sure about those. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I may watch even it again. The acting was good and the production design was exceptional. Beautifully captured the 1954 period. I would definately recommend this film.