The Outfit
Leonard is an English tailor who used to craft suits on London’s world-famous Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he’s ended up in Chicago, operating a small tailor shop in a rough part of town where he makes beautiful clothes for the only people around who can afford them: a family of vicious gangsters.
- Released: 2022-03-18
- Runtime: 105 minutes
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thrillers
- Stars: Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O'Brien, Johnny Flynn, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Simon Russell Beale, Alan Mehdizadeh, Johnathan McClain, Scoop Wasserstein, Chiedu Agborh, Michael Addo, Michal Forejtek, Bmcabana Sf, John Gumley-Mason, Stephen Knox, Lauris Karklins, Steve Chatfield, William Keetch, Ryan Hall
- Director: Graham Moore
Comments
- gsilecchia - 17 June 2024
The Outfit by Graham Moore: an elegant drama that falls short of excellence
"The Outfit" by Graham Moore, released in 2022, is a film that presents an intriguing premise and a promise of psychological suspense set in the fascinating world of bespoke tailoring. Set in 1950s Chicago, the film follows the story of Leonard Burling, a highly skilled English tailor played by Mark Rylance, who runs a luxury tailor shop frequented by some of the city's most dangerous gangsters. The plot unfolds on a fateful night when Leonard and his assistant Mabel (played by Zoey Deutch) find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and betrayal that threatens to destroy everything they have built. Moore, known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for "The Imitation Game," ventures into directing here, demonstrating a keen eye for detail and a steady hand in guiding a cast of talented actors. However, despite the excellent premises and an outstanding performance by Rylance, the film suffers from some structural and pacing issues that limit its overall impact. The main strength of "The Outfit" lies in its visual aesthetics and the quality of the performances. The tailor shop, with its elegant and well-curated interiors, becomes almost a character in its own right, a place that reflects the protagonist's precision and meticulousness. The cinematography is impeccable, with skillful use of light and shadow that creates an atmosphere of palpable tension. Mark Rylance delivers a measured and subtle performance, embodying Leonard with a reassuring calm that hides a depth of emotions and a troubled past. Zoey Deutch and Johnny Flynn, who plays Richie Boyle, the son of a mob boss, also deliver solid performances that add layers of complexity to the story. However, where "The Outfit" falters is in its storytelling. Despite a promising start, the film struggles to maintain the pace and the viewer's attention. The plot, which should be a crescendo of tension and suspense, gets lost in excessive details and dialogue that sometimes feel verbose. Moore seems too focused on creating an atmosphere and a visually attractive world, at the expense of plot and character development. This leads to moments of narrative stagnation that slow down the action and reduce the emotional impact of the revelations and twists. Another weak point of the film is the characterization of the secondary characters. While Leonard is a well-defined and complex character, many of the other characters seem little more than archetypes. This is particularly true for the gangsters, who often appear as two-dimensional figures, lacking depth and convincing motivations. Even the dynamics between the main characters, although well-acted, lack the spark that could have made their interactions truly compelling. Despite these flaws, "The Outfit" remains a film worth noting for its visual elegance and Rylance's performance. The soundtrack, composed by Alexandre Desplat, adds another layer of sophistication, with musical themes that effectively underscore the atmosphere of tension and mystery. The film also offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of bespoke tailoring, an art that requires precision and dedication mirroring the protagonist's character. Ultimately, "The Outfit" is a work that, while not achieving excellence, showcases Graham Moore's talent as a director and Mark Rylance's mastery as an actor, offering a cinematic experience that deserves to be seen, albeit with some reservations. - peterkettle-904-444717 - 6 May 2024
Pure Gripping Thriller
A superb film. This gets top rating for pure entertainment and then some. It grips like a mental vice; you cannot escape until you see how it works out. Rylance carries it but he has a whole gang of support. The stunning script grows and spreads from a short treatise on tailoring to a classic thriller that you rarely see nowadays. I would rate this with the best Hitchcock maze of a plot. It is almost certainly too grown up and demanding for today's popcorn crunching punters. It envelops the bit in your head that wants to know what happens next. And it ends with you wanting to see it again. Anyone out there who fancies themselves as an actor should genuflect to Rylance and stick to the day job. Brilliant instant classic.
