An Intriguing Return to the World of Mystery Cinema
And it concerns Wake Up Dead Man, in which Benoit Blanc, Daniel Craig, returns to a labyrinthine murder mystery in which almost everybody is suspect. As they get nearer to the case, layers of deceit and intrigue unravel, keeping the audiences on pins and needles. In this next installment of Glass Onion, Rian Johnson adds to the layer by layer nature of the real mystery killer by spooling out a story laced with personal vendettas, secret alliances, surprises and meantime overdosing audiences on the need to perennially guess who the answer to that unsolvable riddle is.
Meaning even more than the first Glass Onion, Rian Johnson continues to deliver themes of trust, betrayal and the complexity of human relationships. The subject of the film is comedy, crime, mystery, and drama simultaneously, so it’s rather capricious and keeps the tone close between the tense suspense and laughably scripted humor. A film that makes comment on social contact involving deception and truth, thus the duality of the topic, as well as the cinema as a source of entertainment but also (even) thought, it is endowed with an all-star cast that includes Daniel Craig, Glenn Close, and Kerry Washington. Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc and gave a charismatic and nuanced performance that blends wit with intensity. Glenn Close and Kerry Washington give a deeper level to their characters in an ensemble that is dynamic and fascinating, and Rian Johnson’s direction raises the film with his storytelling gaming. What I really admire about him is the way he handles humor and thrills: humor holds thumb and thrills are perfectly blended in the way he weaves complex plotlines with sophistication and lucidity. But the musical score is perfectly temping with the film itself.
The dialogue and action are not overwhelmed, but reading it makes those suspenseful moments even more suspenseful and the scenes a lot more intense. Wake Up Dead Man is a beautiful visual piece with well utilized cinematography that both captures the beauty of the film and is strategically displayed to convey the drama.
The music from Wake Up Dead Man exemplifies its tone and weaves its way in and out, much like a character of its own. There is every frame planned perfectly to get all the nuances of the character interaction and setting to further amp up the whodunit mode. Lighting and color contrast play an element of mystery as well, making each scene alluring and enigmatic.
The opulent drawing rooms crafted first echo any association with this world one might have, as high contrast also serves to make everything feel larger than life. Special effects are used sparingly and to good effect, making way for realism that will facilitate the story.
Complexity in the story is also provided by the sets, which are carefully orchestrated to build up tension. Effects are seamless and it uses where they use them well, to strengthen the storytelling, not to disrupt it.
The editing is clean and accurate, so the narrative flows smoothly and briskly. The changes of scenes are slowly handled, preserving the suspenseful the films atmosphere and keeping users in suspense. Its also the editing choices that help a great deal in building the tension and keeping to that energetic rhythm of a mystery thriller, keeping the film breezy and energetic in all the right places and slower, building to tension elsewhere. The dialog is witty and sharp, another byline of Rian Johnson. There are quick exchanges between characters which are often humorous, strengthening the personalities and letting the picture have its headline tone. Wake Up Dead Man is a dialog that serves as tool for character development as well as moving a plot forward
While Wake Up Dead Man is successful on many fronts, the film can be even so weighed down with subplots that it may lose some viewers. Also, the film’s eccentricity may not be for those looking for a straightforward story. These are slight blemishes to a wonderful production, though, and over all else, Wake Up Dead Man is an enjoyably daunting journey through the cold, dark heart of a major mystery. The film is a film that sits very well, like suspense, funny, and dramatic film that makes us interested but it is hard and the movie did leave it on a lasting impression.
