Overall, I wasn’t totally thrilled with No Sudden Move, not much is accomplished in it’s hour and fifty five minute runtime. There’s some obfuscation to add intrigue and a desperation to hang on to every piece of what little detail there is to this story to keep the audience engaged.
The pieces that are there slowly but surely fall into place, and the twist proves to be a bit of a let down. The film centers on a schematic for a new technology, the catalytic converter. You might call this a corporate espionage film involving various thugs with various interests. But, that might be a reach.
With that, There are admittedly a few elements that make it a real beauty to watch, incite some laughter, and there’s a pause for criticism of corporate America too.
Distorted Visual Technique and Dilated Time
The film is beautifully shot using special distorting lenses, warping movement when it pans between characters and the world.
The distorted visuals may serve a higher purpose, suggesting that the world is distorted, that the world can’t be trusted. There is a literal and figurative blurring of lines here. This choice in technique informs the mood and message of the film, suggesting the unseen connections between people and organizations, and powerful people in high places pulling levers for their own benefit.
Further, the technique is so noticeable, that it actually distracts us, reminds us we’re watching a movie, and forces us to think about how the reality of the film may apply to our own lives.
There is an exaggeration of dialogue, an expansion of time, of meticulous blocking and a multitude of shots to follow that blocking. This actually proves to add some humor from time to time, some movements and lines of dialogue are so pulled out, I couldn’t help but laugh – perhaps that’s the point, to illustrate how ridiculous it all is.
Power Lies in Detroit, Greed Runs Rampant
Has corporate America ever done the right thing if it didn’t mean more profit?
These sort of mind games about control are espoused by Mike Lowen (Matt Damon). He makes it very clear that even though he is handing over a large sum of money to Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle) and Ronald Russo (Benicio Del Toro) for schematic plans of an invention he acts like will fail, he and others like him really never really lose any ground.
While we don’t believe him for a moment, as the men slowly make their getaway, Lowen is in fact right – they’re fighting a losing battle.
The money is eventually returned to Lowen, leaving him with all of the power, influence, and wealth. I think this says something important about corporations and the power they wield.
It makes the job of the government and antitrust cases that much more important. The major auto-companies were eventually charged for collusion, but apparently didn’t have to pay a dime for their misdeeds.
As a contrast to actual greed with agency to amass wealth, we cheer on ex-con Curt to go to the top and get his while he has the chance. It feels like someone is finally sticking it to the man, and that feels good. For a moment, anyway. As a relief to the audience, he does break even in the end.
Performances
Soderbergh embraces a few up and comers, and maintains a favorite collaborator in Don Cheadle as his lead.
Noah Jupe offers a restrained performance in a defiant character here. While the material he has to work with doesn’t live up to the ultra-compelling story of his last big-screen film Honey Boy, he shows great promise as an up and coming talent.
I was particularly interested in the way he differentiates himself from his cheating father with whom he shares a name, insisting on being called Matthew by his mother, instead of Matt.
Brendan Fraser has totally transformed, giving a performance that was compelling enough, but rather one note. To be fair, he doesn’t have much screen time to play with.
I’m admittedly sentimental about Fraser’s presence, whose movies I enjoyed as a child. His appearance here gives me hope that he’ll continue taking on gritty and interesting roles.
I was excited to see Julia Fox billed after seeing her scene-stealing debut in Uncut Gems. Her performance flailed a little bit as “the other woman.” Her character only briefly expands to more than that typecast, when it is revealed she’s playing all sides to take the money for herself. The deviant trait here is good, but she plays it off a little silly.
No Sudden Move
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Ed Solomon
Starring: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour
Images courtesy of HBO Max/Warner Bros. Pictures
