Shadows on the Wall

Sharper

dir Benjamin Caron
scr Brian Gatewood, Alessandro Tanaka
prd Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Julianne Moore, Bart Freundlich
with Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, John Lithgow, Darren Goldstein, Phillip Johnson Richardson, Kerry Flanagan, David Pittu, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Brian Rojas, Richard Busser
release US/UK 17.Sep.23
23/US A24 1h57

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A warmly relaxed tone and pointed filmmaking details playfully set up the audience for a twisty tale about "sharpers", people who live by their wits. Director Benjamin Caron creates a lush, seductive visual tone that's thoroughly engaging. Of course, there's the usual problem with this genre, as the viewer is unable to trust anyone or anything that happens on-screen, because the script is surely playing scams within scams.

After meeting in his Manhattan bookshop, Tom (Smith) begins dating grad student Sandra (Middleton), bonding over a shared love of literature. Then Sandra reveals that she needs a huge sum of cash to help her loan-shark indebted brother. But is this just a sting targeting the son of a hedge fund manager? Or maybe Sandra is actually at the end of her rope and working for jaded con artist Max (Stan). And then perhaps Max is at war with his high-powered partner Madeleine (Moore), who might be playing her new billionaire boyfriend Richard (Lithgow).

As the narrative unfolds, the film shifts perspective to explore each character's part in the larger story. This gradually reveals connections and secrets that are thoroughly entertaining, even if the Mobius strip of a plot makes it impossible to sympathise with characters who are so relentlessly slippery. So as things become increasingly knotted, the escalating plot turns have less impact. But through all of this, Caron keeps us connected to the people behind the larger-than-life characters.

Thankfully, each performances has a strong edge that balances lightness and shadiness with skill. And because no one is who they seem to be, the actors get a chance to quietly steal scenes from each other. Moore is always great at conveying vulnerability and strength at the same time, and she is nicely matched with Stan as a confident guy who is slightly out of control. In marginally less manipulative roles, Smith and Middleton get to play things with with more subtlety. Which makes them more likeable, even if they're just as impossible to trust.

Because we can never see each momentous thing that happens as anything but a con within yet another con, the emotional beats feel somewhat empty. And the underlying themes about greed and manipulation are also lost in the spiralling mayhem. But watching all of this play out is amusing enough to keep us gripped, tantalising us as we wait for the next to drop, until the true heroes and villains end up just where they belong.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 14.Feb.23

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