No Sudden Move: An Exceptionally Well-Crafted And Star-Studded Throwback Noir
Steven Soderbergh returns with No Sudden Move, an exceptionally well-crafted throwback noir that boasts his sharpest ensemble cast to date. Written by Ed Solomon (one half of the screenwriting team that gave us the Bill & Ted trilogy) and gorgeously lensed by Soderbergh himself, No Sudden Move marks his tightest film (in our opinion) since 2000’s Traffic. This ain’t nothing to sleep on!
Set in 1954 Detroit, No Sudden Move centers on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them — and for what ultimate purpose — weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.
The first thing you’ll notice about No Sudden Move is that it’s absolutely beautiful to look at. From the first frame, until the very last shot, we were enamored by the film’s visual look. Soderbergh shot the film himself using period-accurate lenses (Meike Cine Lenses, we believe) to create the illusion that the film was shot during the 50s. Much like the film’s menagerie of characters, No Sudden Move’s aesthetics are full of charming quirks; the wide shots are extremely w i d e, and there’s an interesting fisheye distortion that the lenses’ give to the film. It might be distracting to some viewers, but like the film’s many Dutch angles, the cinematography serves a purpose: they constantly remind us that the world and its characters are all distorted and crooked.
The second thing you’ll probably notice is that there’s a slew of chic and shiny period cars that further enhance the film’s potent visual swagger. Set in 1954 in the auto-booming city of Detroit, it wouldn’t feel right if there weren’t an abundance of vehicles — and if you’re one of those douche-bros that thinks that F9 is the “car movie” of the year, you’re sorely mistaken because it’s this film. The city of Detroit becomes a character, and the city’s auto-industry plays a key role. What begins as a fairly straightforward caper soon unravels into a delicious mess full of corrupt characters with ulterior motives. It’s a backstabbing buffet, with the corrupt auto-industry eventually surfacing to the forefront — and best of all, we essentially get to discover every twist is revelation alongside our characters.
The film is full of lovably slimy and fatally flawed characters who are all jockeying for power (a common Soderbergh theme), and they’re all played terrifically by the film’s phenomenally star-studded cast. It’s almost easier to ask who isn’t in this film because there’s so much quality talent here — and like an automobile, they’re all firing on all cylinders. Notably, the film reunites Soderbergh with Traffic stars Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro, both of whom are incredible as always, but there’s also an onslaught of side characters, many of which almost steal the film. There’s Uncut Gems’ Julia Fox, Matt Damon, Kieran Culkin, Amy Seimetz, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, and a transformative Brendan Fraser (who’s noticeably heavier, presumably as a result from his prep for Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming drama The Whale, in which he plays a 600-pound man). Plus, there’s a brief but powerful cameo by Bill fucking Duke, who hardly utters a word but makes his presence felt nonetheless.
Ed Solomon’s wonderfully brisk and compellingly twisty screenplay gives the actors plenty of beautiful words to spew. His writing captures the fast-talking, keep-up-if-you-can attitude of 50s films, which we absolutely loved but might be difficult for some viewers to follow (we suggest turning on the subtitles, if you’re watching at home), and it does interesting things with race and class that relate to the period as well as our modern times. There’s also a lot of humor, much more so than we were anticipating, which made it an even better time. There’s a subtle evolution to Solomon’s script, and as it draws nearer to its close, he builds toward a rousing third act that’s full of surprises. While it ultimately subscribes to the fatalistic leanings that are a Film Noir staple, Solomon also peppers in a fair amount of subversion that actively keeps you guessing all the way down to the film’s final moments.
Overall, No Sudden Move is a real zinger of a caper film. With its delicious throwback feel, intriguing narrative, stellar performances, and stylish direction, it proves to be yet another Soderbergh triumph. It’s also proof that no one can really assemble a crew quite like Soderbergh, who continues to cultivate exciting ensemble casts and churn out consistently good-to-great films as if he were a machine, which gives us high hopes for his next film, Kimi (written by Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp), which is already in post-production and slated for release next year.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of film noir, Steven Soderbergh, or any of the film’s impressive cast, definitely give No Sudden Move a watch! We don’t think you’ll regret it.
Rating: 4.5 period-accurate wide-angle lenses outta 5.
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