SUBURBICON

TroyAnderson February 22, 2018 3 Comments 0 like

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SUBURBICON REVIEWED

“Suburbicon” was written in 1986. That’s a creative detail that so many people miss out on when trying to frame this film. A period piece that looks into the dark humor of 1959 Americana plays differently between 1986 and 2018. The original plan was for this film to follow up the Coens’ efforts on Blood Simple, but Raising Arizona got the greenlight first. Now, it exists after bouncing back and forth for decades. So, why didn’t America want to see a dark look at a suburban family murdering each other and trying to put the blame on the new African American family.

While there is comedy in the film, so much of the film plays forcibly dark. It was like a period attempt to slam Hitchcockian murder mysteries. Clooney works best with the actors that he knows from past work. However, the newbies to the film are working on their own script. Still, there remains the big creative discord. Clooney isn’t a Coen Brother. The Coen Brothers get their own humor and only Noah Hawley seems dialed into it. Clooney can’t pick a creative speed or direction to channel the suburban slam. It’s an interesting failure, but it’s one that will be forgotten.