Julianne Moore and Matt Damon in Suburbicon.Photo Credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gay
Let George Clooney's attempt at Coen Brothers cosplay be a lesson to anyone who thinks that admiration effortlessly transfers over to achievement.
Although Clooney is a long-time collaborator with Joel and Ethan Coen (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Hail, Caesar!; Burn After Reading; Intolerable Cruelty), his attempt here at dusting off one of their earliest screenplays is a misbegotten endeavour from start to finish.
Whatever stabs at dark comedy, social satire and noir-esque murder-mystery the Coens may have once been mulling with Suburbicon are only superficial wounds in Clooney's hands. There is no harm in allowing Clooney to further stretch his directorial muscles – Good Night, and Good Luck is not bad – but there ought to be a law against wasting such talents as Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and poor ol' Oscar Isaac in this hollow exercise.
Josh Brolin was also once part of the experiment, but Clooney had the good decency to cut his scenes. What a guy.
Barry Hertz