Review: The Outfit

For a film with a pretty strong cast and crew, I was surprised how the marketing wasn't as large as you would expect.

But with the buzz slowly getting bigger as the release date arrived, this had the makings of a somewhat hidden gem.

It was interesting to see that this could easily work as a stage play due to the majority of the film being in one location and it being dialogue heavy.

So much of it felt as if it was made in an era in film long ago. Even the posters for this film look like they belong in the 1950's or 60's. All of this made the whole experience quite refreshing and welcoming. Helped out by a genuinely tense and exciting story, I was pleased to see that my hopes were met.

Mark Rylance continues to be as great as ever with another strong performance in the leading role. While for most of the film, we do get that vintage understated Rylance presence. But there are moments that give us something new which was well earned in getting to that point.

The stand-out supports by Dylan O'Brien and Johnny Flynn must be well praised. O'Brien looks to have grown out of his stint in The Maze Runner franchise and continues to grow to a very promising actor. Same goes for Flynn who continues to grow from strength or strength with his performances and gave a bit of a menacing one in this.

The star of the show for me was the script. It felt as sharp and precise as the costumes. The way it reveals more details about the plot and each character gradually ramps up the tension really effectively and gave us many memorable and fleshed out characters.

Judging by the title, you would naturally expect strong costume designs. You'd be right. The costumes are very classy looking in amongst the mixture of old school stylish and dark and brooding production design.

Also, the score by Alexandre Desplat manages to be a character in itself. The pieces and arrangements used fit the time period and enhanced the film's overall mood perfectly.

It may be nothing ground breaking and the screenplay almost overpowers the film. But it still manages to execute every aspect to an effective standard and make this a worthwhile watch.

It's got a lot going for it and the cast make great use of what is a strong screenplay. You don't see these types of films anymore and that's what will make this stand-out for a lot of people.

Rating: 7/10