Review of Suburbicon (2017) by Liam H — 26 Jan 2018

This film is actually a well written film. The plot is intriguing, dark and unique. However films are not played out on paper and I have the sense that perhaps this film works better as a script than it does as an actual film.

Some of the problems which occur in the transition from scipt to film with this piece are that all of the characters are inherently unlikeable. Only the Black family and the young boy nicky are likeable, relateable characters.

Everyone else is kind of bad in a sense that is overplayed and like a parody. Some characters are almost 2-D as to how little moral character they have. A book that had inherently unlikeable characters would have to have some kind of wink to the audience to let them know through tone or narration that all of these characters are of poor character and not worth investing in.

In the transition to film however the film leads you down a path where you are expected to invest in these people as likeable people only to turn round later and show that all of them were of horrible moral character.

The plot also is not as complex as it likes to think it is but the way that the information is revealed chunk by chunk is a cheap way of making a less complex plot appear to be more grand than it is. Unfortunately George Clooney has polticised himself in real life away from the big screen and you could really sense that he had tried to tie some narratives in this film to issues in politics today.

However he tried to crack a nut with a sledgehammer. It was not subtle at all and you can just smell from the plot that is what he is trying to do with elememts in this film. I am not against art making political points but it can't be 2-D, overplayed and obvious if it is going to have any impact.

I mean c'mon the only people with any moral character in this film are the Black family and a child? This film is interesting enough to watch the first time round but after the plot reveals this movie holds no other interest to return to as a piece of art or entertainment.