(For Day 27 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for an emulative poem with a fancy simile and such, but I went off-prompt today. Subverting expectations, you might say.)

See what you want to see, it will be there.
Call it a masterpiece, people will stare.
Fancy it rotten and treat with disgust,
And what was a winner will soon be a bust.

Label it stable, and it shall be so.
Flag it as flaky, and look out below.
Brand it as brilliant, and all will believe,
While those who do not have some grievance to grieve.

What you intend will determine the end,
Or at least govern what you recommend.
See what you want to see, hoarding or growth,
Genius or charlatan, neither or both.
___________________________

MPA rating:  PG-13

Considering I already included Glass Onion on my end-of-2022 favorites list, my feelings for it should not be a surprise. Also unsurprising for writer-director Rian Johnson, the reception for this follow-up to 2019’s Knives Out became rather polarized online, with disagreement on just how clever this latest mystery was, or was trying to be. But hey, I really enjoyed The Last Jedi, so I’m clearly not on board the Rian Johnson hate train. With no connection to Knives Out beyond its central detective Benoit Blanc (the ever-classy Daniel Craig), Glass Onion can easily be appraised on its own merits, and even if it doesn’t quite hit the highs of its predecessor, it’s still a deliriously well-crafted film full of twists, cameos, and an all-star ensemble.

Via a complex puzzle box, eccentric tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his diverse group of “disruptor” friends to a murder mystery weekend on his private Greek island. Among them are an up-and-coming governor (Kathryn Hahn), a scientist working for Miles’ company (Leslie Odom Jr.), a gun-toting streamer (Dave Bautista), a controversy-magnet supermodel (Kate Hudson), and Miles’ own ex-business partner with a chip on her shoulder (Janelle Monáe). And also unexpectedly invited is Benoit Blanc, ready to jump into action if the fake murder mystery should take an actually deadly turn.

Johnson excels at subverting expectations, which is especially advantageous in the mystery genre. Even if you think you can guess the culprit from the start (and you may well be right), the story does its utmost to cast doubt on every character. As the investigation progresses, Blanc learns of every character having a reason to want Miles dead, yet not much later, reasons come to light for every character to want to keep him alive. And while there’s no connection to Knives Out, Glass Onion shares its structure, taking an abrupt shift at the halfway point to look at the plot from an entirely new perspective, practically guaranteeing a second watch to verify what might have been missed. A good mystery is about the journey, the clues, the twists, just as much as the big reveal, which might be disappointing to some but has a timely message about how much faith we put into reputations.

The cast is certainly game as well, especially Norton as the ingratiatingly extravagant host and Monáe as the wronged Andi Brand, showing more range than her stoic first appearance might indicate. The rest of the cast have their moments to chew the scenery as well, with Bautista and Hudson particularly satirizing the more toxic elements of celebrity. The scene of all of the partygoers arriving at a dock is alone a great showcase of subtle characterization, based just on how they wear their masks in the midst of the pandemic. (It was interesting and a bit odd that the film actually referenced the COVID pandemic, yet promptly side-stepped social distancing with a fake “cure.” Only in the movies….) And, of course, Craig is a perfect gentleman, offering the same perceptive Southern charm as his first appearance and effectively making me forget that he’s James Bond for two hours.

Admittedly, there are things that don’t work quite as well, like the explosive climax that tries to be a moment of empowering rebellion with a clever callback but also borders on cringeworthy and unrealistic. Plus, certain characters get more attention than others, with Odom Jr. sadly being little more than an extra. And while I liked the circuitous reveal, Johnson should take care in his next outing to avoid a potential pattern in his culprits, so as to not be predictable. Despite some self-indulgence, Glass Onion is as entertaining a mystery as any, boasting both layers of genius and a disarming simplicity to match its name. To be honest, I didn’t even know “Glass Onion” was the name of a Beatles song, so kudos on incorporating that as well. I’m definitely looking forward to the next Benoit Blanc adventure.

Best line: (Birdie Jay, the politically incorrect model) “Like Miles said, I’m a truth teller. Some people can’t handle it.”   (Blanc) “It’s a dangerous thing to mistake speaking without thought for speaking the truth. Don’t you think?”

Rank: List-Worthy (joining Knives Out)

© 2023 S.G. Liput
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