Suburbicon (2017) --- “Welcome To The Neighborhood Where Director George Clooney Takes You To The Darker Side Of Suburbia.”

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Plot Summary

Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic, suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns -- the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge must navigate the town's dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence. (1) 

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Review

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Hello, Movie Buffs! 

     Suburbicon (2017) is one of those films you have to see it and then decided for yourself if you like it. I went into this film without knowing much about, I had only seen the trailers a couple times before viewing the film so I did not know what to expect here. All I knew was that it was a dark comedy most likely about murder starring Matt Damon (Downsizing) and Julianne Moore (Kingsmen: The Golden Circle). Personally, I can’t say that this is my favorite film or that I would watch it again, let alone buy it. But regardless of the fact that I don’t care much for it, this is still a good film.

     People tend to be overly sensitive when it comes to films set in pre-integration (the 60’s and earlier) that are not based on true stories. However, this film expresses racism in a darkly comedic and real way (this does not mean I condone racism). The Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan (Hail, Caesar!), have a proclivity for making parodies with subtle criticism. Co-writing with Grant Heslov (Monuments Men) and director George Clooney (Monuments Men), the Coen brothers tell the story about the ideal life until something goes wrong that proves that there are more skeletons in the closet than expected. The story was told in a clever way, especially considering its controversial subplot, that took time to unravel.

     George Clooney has proven time and time again that he is a great actor, and in his latest film he has shown his skills as a director, it’s great to see him try out new areas in the cinematic world. Robert Elswit’s (Skyscraper) cinematography and Stephen Mirrione’s (The Revenant) film editing were colorful and on point. The music score by Alexander Desplat (The Shape of Water; Isle of Dogs; and many more) is perfect in how it helps set the scenes. This cast of talented actors played their characters flawlessly. Matt Damon is convincing as the two-faced father, Noah Jupe (Wonder) is great as the shy and yet clever son, Gary Basaraba (The Accountant) is convincing as the sympathetic and tough uncle, Glenn Fleshler (Billions) is impressive as the scary villain, and Oscar Isaac (The Promise) makes a brief entrance as an investigative insurance agent. The most standout character, other than Jupe, was Julianne Moore (Kingsmen: The Golden Circle) who effectively plays two completely different roles. One is a bitter and disabled mother, while the other is her superficial and manipulative child actor sister. The latter proves to be more sinister than the former.

     Overall, Suburbicon (2018) is a good 50's style dark comedy film with an evolving story, colorful cinematography, on point film editing, and talented actors. This is not my favorite nor do I plan on watching it again, let alone buy it. However, I cannot ignore the fact that it is still a good film (just not necessarily mine kind of preference). If you’re a fan of George Clooney, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Robert Elswit, Stephen Mirrione, Alexander Desplat, Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Noah Jupe, Gary Basaraba, Glenn Fleshler, and Oscar Isaac then you might enjoy this film.

 "Welcome to Suburbicon, a town of great wonder and excitement. Founded in 1947, Suburbicon was built with the promise of prosperity for all. And in only 12 short years, it has grown from a few small homes to a living, breathing community with all the conveniences of the big city without all the noise or the traffic. And now, with nearly 60,000 residents, they enjoy their own schools, a fire department, and a police department. There's a shopping mall. A first-rate hospital. Why, we even have our own choir." 

- Narrator [as storybook pages are turned] 

Final Vote

Worth Seeing:  6.5 of 10 stars

Worth Buying:  6.5 of 10 stars

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