Knives Out

Sat down at my writing desk once more to crack on with 'my great American novel'. I worked out the base structure for my project, now I'm just putting the meat on the skeleton. I've found myself in a position where I just really want to have some fun with it all but I often end up overthinking it. During the latter part of the day I think I finally got into a groove with it and stuff began to arrive more naturally. People always envisage writing as this joyful activity, but at this moment in time it feels more like doing maths homework.

Stepped into the world of digital movie rentals this evening, Knives Out isn't bundled in on any streaming platform yet and after hearing everyone sing its praises Rebecca and I spent a whopping 76p each (plus a coupon) to rent it online. And it was a fun movie. Rian Johnson's independent movies have previously been a bit too clever and self-important for their own good, but here we finally sense that he's just enjoying his craft. It moves at a good pace and you always have full comprehension of the unfurling mystery. The film itself isn't groundbreaking, but you're along for the ride and everything ties together at the end with a neat little bow on top. Perhaps a little too neatly... While the mystery at the heart of the plot is undeniably well constructed, it never gives the viewer enough breadcrumbs to play the armchair detective - It doesn't make you feel smart, it just asks you to bask in how clever the writer is. Again, this is Johnson's classic misstep, but at least it's entertaining!