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KNIVES OUT

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KNIVES OUT

* * * ½ (Joyce)

* * * (Don)

(Whodunit)

Joyce is a mystery novel fan and loves the intricacies of figuring out whodunit, so she enjoyed this one more than I did.

The cast, headed by Daniel Craig as the private eye trying to solve the murder of a rich patriarch, played by Christopher Plummer, is excellent. We enjoyed Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Drysdale, Michael Shannon and others as the relatives of the aging mystery writer who are all suspects in his murder.

The private investigator plays the "divide and conquer" game, pitting suspects against each other in a long (2 hours and 10 minutes) cat-and-mouse game, with the victim's caregiver at the center of the inquiry. Family secrets are revealed, red herrings are thrown into the mix, and there are enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. It all comes down to who hired the PI and why, in addition to where everyone was when the dastardly deed was taking place. For me, it got a bit overwhelming, but the more intelligent Joyce had it pretty much figured out. Just remember that things are not always as they seem.

If you like murder mysteries, you should enjoy this lighthearted, occasionally humorous movie.

Rate PG-13, with some violence, profanity and sexual references.

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