See How They Run

It may not be the smartest or funniest whodunit out there but See How They Run is still a really fun murder mystery that succeeds at creating an engaging mystery and solid gag rate bolstered by some surprisingly dark and mature themes.

Sam Rockwell gives a great lead performance as the calm amongst a very chaotic storm of over the top performances with an impressively strong accent that never slips. Saorsie Ronan is the standout though with fantastic comedic timing and an always lovable presence.

Tom George's direction is really good, thankfully not too focused on homaging Wes Anderson and instead delivering a stylish film with some snappy editing and nice split screen. The music by Daniel Pemberton is good, matching the films quirky nature.

This is one of those films that people have rubbished purely because it's primary purpose is to entertain. And that's a great shame, because in these troubled times that's perhaps exactly what people want. A good night out at the cinema.

Saoirse Ronan again proves what a huge career she could go on to have, this time adding light comedy to her range of skills, in this murder mystery caper.

These are ten a penny right now, both on the big and small screen, but 'See How They Run' manages to find its own style, with some clever tricks up its sleeve throughout.

There are lots of big or recognisable faces dotted throughout this fun film, but the stand-outs are Ronan and Sam Rockwell as her superior. I'd actually be happy if this led to another outing for the pair.

Overall, good fun.

I don't know if it's the cozy cinematography, the many tracking shots, or two actors that have been in a lot of his films, but this movie has a real whimsical, wholesome, Wes Anderson vibe to it and I liked it. Saoirse Ronan is incredibly cute and comical in her role as a apprentice cop learning the trade and trying to solve the mystery. Her puns in the beginning are pretty funny, and she just has such a sweet aura throughout that weirdly fits with the movie.

The film moves at a leisurely pace, almost like a British afternoon tea on a rainy day. Or drinking hot cocoa while watching an Agatha Christie murder mystery as the snow falls outside. That kind of vibe, and I'm here for it.

Oh, and we get to see Adrien Brody in a Grand Budapest Hotel-like rich jerk role, and it's pretty great.

I try to avoid trailers and promos so much so that I thought this was going to be a movie involving trains somehow like a biopic of whoever invented them, all I knew was Saoirse Ronan was in it. She was one of the few upbeat characters in it so she lit up the screen whenever she was on.

It's a movie that talks about itself throughout, it's a whodunnit film and as mentioned in the movie, once you see one you've seen them all. The plot of the movie is the plot of the theatre play and movie, that's inside the movie, so when a clue is revealed in one story you know it's the same for the other.

It's suspenseful throughout but not really engaging enough to keep you on your seat. You're not really invested in any of the characters unless you're already a fan of the actors playing them, which I was. I've seen it compared to "knives out" but I don't think it's that good. Nothing really special about it because it just doesn't click, feels like it's supposed to though. There's a lot of funny bits that carry the film, but those feel like an accessory, not actually what the movie is supposed to be about, just something to elevate it. It's meant to be a mystery but the mystery doesn't do much.

It's made to be pretty simple and quirky, I think it would've been better if it took itself a little more seriously and maybe slowed down a bit. Funny and 1950's retro so there's things to love about it, but confused about what's it's meant to be so it feels all over the place.

It doesn't pretend to be high art. It's silly and enjoyable and was the equivalent of enjoying a good piece of cake - pleasurable but soon forgotten.

The performances are good and we loved the butler at the end. We could even guess some of the lines and also the ending, but it didn't matter. Yes, there were Wes Anderson type moments and yes, the make up and hair was wrong for the the period for Saoirse Ronan, and there was an absence of smoke in the pub etc it's supposed to be 1950s England... but I guess it was going for theatrical rather than realism.

If you want an easy going film that makes you laugh and smile - this is the film. (And so much better than the remakes of Agatha Christie)