Earlier this year I mentioned what a difficult genre to accomplish dark comedy is. The Coen Brothers used to be some of the few able to pull that off beautifully. Having now seen their latest movie, Suburbicon, I think they've lost their touch. Not only the film doesn't work as a dark comedy but it doesn't work at all.
In 1959, the peaceful, all-white neighbourhood of Suburbicon is shaken up by the arrival of an African-American family. However, Gardner Lodge (Matt Damon) couldn't care less about it because two men broke into his house in the middle of the night, killed his wife (Julianne Moore). He doesn't care much about that either since he soon picks up the pieces and starts a new life with his son Nicky (Noah Jupe) and his dead wife's twin sister (Julianne Moore). Turns out Mr. Lodge isn't the guy everyone thinks he is and s**t gets real.
Maybe it was George Clooney's influence, I don't know, but I highly doubt the Coen Brothers will ever be able to an even more nonsensical and goddamn awful script than they did here. The plot, if you dare calling it so, is a mess. There isn't a real story, just a lot of random events happening, none of which is related to the other. The twists are predictable, the exciting parts are dull and the overall thing is so boring I wonder how I managed to not fall asleep.
Then there's the racial subplot. It would have been impossible to make a more shallow and vague subplot even if they tried really hard. It feels like it is in the film just for the sake of being there, because that's what you are supposed to do nowadays and that's the only way they could have given Suburbicon a more serious tone. I'm afraid that doesn't work when said subplot has little screen time, it's got no development, paper-thin characters and has Mother!-like riot scenes, as Margaret said, that leaves you even more clueless about what the heck is going on in this film.
There's something good about Suburbicon though, it treats white people in the same shitty way it treats black people. There's indeed plenty of white characters with no development or depth. You are supposed to feel bad for the kid, you really are, but the character is both written and acted so poorly that's impossible to care or feel bad for him.
There's someone I did feel sorry for. It was Oscar Isaac. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, only 17 minutes passes from his first appearance to his last, but he does wonders with the pathetic material he had to work with. He gives such a good and convincing performance, you will feel sorry for him. *SPOILER* Even more sorry if you are a straight woman or a gay man because Matt Fucking Damon kills him before he's given the change to rip off his shirt.*SPOILER*
Ultimately, Suburbicon is neither funny or serious. It's only a boring, unoriginal film made watchable by Oscar Isaac. And by watchable I mean you should probably check out his parts only.
Maybe it was George Clooney's influence, I don't know, but I highly doubt the Coen Brothers will ever be able to an even more nonsensical and goddamn awful script than they did here. The plot, if you dare calling it so, is a mess. There isn't a real story, just a lot of random events happening, none of which is related to the other. The twists are predictable, the exciting parts are dull and the overall thing is so boring I wonder how I managed to not fall asleep.
Then there's the racial subplot. It would have been impossible to make a more shallow and vague subplot even if they tried really hard. It feels like it is in the film just for the sake of being there, because that's what you are supposed to do nowadays and that's the only way they could have given Suburbicon a more serious tone. I'm afraid that doesn't work when said subplot has little screen time, it's got no development, paper-thin characters and has Mother!-like riot scenes, as Margaret said, that leaves you even more clueless about what the heck is going on in this film.
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| Paramount Pictures |
There's someone I did feel sorry for. It was Oscar Isaac. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, only 17 minutes passes from his first appearance to his last, but he does wonders with the pathetic material he had to work with. He gives such a good and convincing performance, you will feel sorry for him. *SPOILER* Even more sorry if you are a straight woman or a gay man because Matt Fucking Damon kills him before he's given the change to rip off his shirt.*SPOILER*
Ultimately, Suburbicon is neither funny or serious. It's only a boring, unoriginal film made watchable by Oscar Isaac. And by watchable I mean you should probably check out his parts only.
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