It’s not a movie title, dummy, but I choose the headline by free Association. I got to review these three movies today and noticed something. Let’s see if you can make the same connections as I did:
Leonard (Mark Rylance), a master English tailor who’s ended up in Chicago, operates a corner tailor shop with his assistant (Zoey Deutch) where he makes beautiful clothes for the only people around who can afford them: a family of vicious gangsters. One night, two killers (Dylan O’Brien, Johnny Flynn) knock on his door in need of a favor – And Leonard is thrust onto the board in a deadly game of deception and murder.
The person who wrote the summary obviously didn’t even bother watching this fine little film. Leonard explains very detailed that he is not a tailor but a cutter! And he is not thrust onto the board just willy nilly, he operates a drop box for the mob since quite a while already.
Anyway, apart from that we witness through his and his assistant’s eyes how the mafia family dismantles itself and falls apart. Or isn’t Leonard just a bystander in this gangster drama?
I don’t know if The Outfit is based on a stage play, it seems like made for it. Apart from two or three short scenes the whole plot happens inside the shop. This would be a perfect fit for a theater.
Rylance and the bitchy Deutch play well off each other, rest of the ensemble have the mafia types down to a tee. A well-rounded piece for a discerning audience, tired of the same old Marvel dreck, this is intelligent and not boring at all.
A story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter, as they meet and join together for a thousand-mile odyssey which takes them through the back roads, hidden passages and trap doors of Ronald Reagan’s America. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness. —united artists releasing
What is the association between the oldfashioned Outfit and this rather sexy coming of age drama? Mark Rylance. And that’s already were the commonalities end. Rylance’s role in this film is much smaller and also much more brutal. Okay, we can say both movies are about unlikely pairs: Master/assistant in the first, young lovers drawn together by unnatural nature in the second.
The plot is not as important as the atmosphere and chemistry in this film. And did you notice Taylor Russell? What a star!!!
The way this pretty unassuming movie was made reminded me of one of my all-time favourite film-makers, Jim Jarmusch. No need to say more.
Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN follows lifelong friends Padraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Padraic, aided by his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Padraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.
This third film ended up in this group review not because of Mark Rylance (he’s got nothing to do with this) but since it’s about another odd couple. A couple one part desperately tries to get away from. And since it’s directed and acted in the same laconic, frosty way as Outfit and Bones.
What else all three movies have in common are very good actors and very well-written screenplays. These are movies for an adult audience. Yes, it pains me to state that since none of them are overly dramatic or boring and, like, 30 years ago they would’ve been accessible for all age-groups. Unfortunately for the youngsters growing up now, they don’t get to see really good movies anymore. Same problem as the declining quality in pop music. So most of the teenie audience may be bored out of their stupid skulls since here they need to engage their little brains … a little bit. And that is often already asked too much. 
Anyway, it’s very nice to see the pairing of Farrell/Gleeson again. Who doesn’t fondly remember In Bruges, were they tricked their foul-mouthed meanie pooface gangster boss. Both movies directed with the certain British humour by Martin McDonagh, which gives us yet another association.
I almost had included The Wonder into this review as well – coz of wonderful acting, odd pair and Ireland – but then I noticed I had that one covered already some time ago.
And once again I gotta say that my reviews are becoming shorter the better I like a certain movie. That’s how I managed to put these three very good films in the space I would usually struggle to put the review of a very bad Hollywood flick into.
Thar She Blows! 