See How They Run (2022) Dir: Tom George
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Directed by Tom George and written by Mark Chappell, this film takes inspiration from Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery 'The Mousetrap', while also forming its own unique and intriguing narrative around it. It's also just 1 hour and 39 minutes long, which means it is a very easy watch, particularly compared to some of the epics (slogs) out there.
The murder and the mystery is also coupled with a healthy sprinkling of comedy, making for some hilarious moments, particularly due to some excellently witty dialogue. I adore the clever use of foreshadowing and imagery that makes for some very satisfying scenes.
The narrative itself is a little messy at times, but that suits the feel of the film in a way - I even didn't mind what amounted to be a rather over-the-top climax, as it all felt in keeping with the entertainment of the story. Even a few fourth wall breaks didn't feel jarring, slightly unnecessary yes, but not a particularly bothersome feature.
Sam Rockwell reminds me of Gary Oldman with his performance here. He has that same gravelly London accent and murmuring delivery, but it works a treat. I found his character so entertaining, particularly when interacting with his co-star.
Speaking of whom, Soairse Ronan is by far my favourite performer in this. Her portrayal of naive optimism and determination is very endearing and she nails it. She made every scene she was in better.
Another who nails their performance is Adrien Brody. He manages to exude smarmy arrogance with ease.
Charlie Cooper, who is mostly known for his role in the TV series 'This Country', brings his wonderfully believable character work to the big screen, providing one of the more entertaining characters, who I wish had a lot more screentime.
Another very enjoyable performance comes from David Oyelowo, whose flamboyance is very entertaining. Again, I really wish he had more screentime.
Pippa Bennett-Warner may not have a whole lot of screentime but she left a great impression on me, as it pertains to her acting ability. Her timing and delivery was excellent.
Harris Dickinson is hilarious as acclaimed real life actor Richard Attenborough. His eccentric overacting perfectly suits the wacky and light nature of the film and makes for some hilarious moments.
Finally, I'll mention Reece Shearsmith, Angus Wright, Lucian Msamati, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Pearl Chanda, Tim Key, Paul Chahidi, Sian Clifford, Ruth Wilson and Shirley Henderson, whom all provided interesting and entertaining performances, particularly Key, Chahidi and Henderson.
Overall, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this for the most part. It's a fun murder mystery with plenty of laughs and a number of truly fun characters and performances.
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