Streaming on Peacock
For rent on Apple TV and Amazon
The Outfit feels like a film that could easily adapt into a stage play: It's a character-driven thriller set in a single location with the dialogue and performances carrying most of the forward momentum. Typically, this particular style of cinema doesn't translate well because most stage plays tend to require the unique magic of a present theater audience. Case in point, Proof by David Auburn (one of my favorite plays) is written with a live audience in mind so distinctly that despite the film adaptation featuring the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Sir Anthony Hopkins, the film version feels forced and unnatural, unlike when performed on stage. This isn't to say that stage plays could never adapt well to the silver screen, just that it requires more than merely copying/pasting the dialogue and throwing in some dramatic shots here and there to make it work.
Set in Chicago in the late 1950s, the story follows a professional British tailor (sorry, cutter) named Leonard (Mark Rylance). He owns and operates a suit-making shop where he makes fine suits and provides a drop box for Mafia payments. One night, a few mafiosos enter his shop on the run from the police after a failed bust. The feds are on to them with a tape recording of their dealings. They have the tape but are uncertain of what to do next. From there, the story dives headfirst into a series of unexpected events, strange story turns, and plot twists you might not see coming.
As I have mentioned, films like this live and die by the performances and the dialogue. While it can take a little while for the story to get moving, once it does, it gets you hooked pretty quickly. Most of that comes from the Mark Rylance and his subtle yet powerfully gripping performance. Through his calm demeanor, there is an underlying sense of something darker that seldom comes to light. That is, until the very end, which I won't spoil here, but I will say this: it may be a bit cliche (for want of a better word), but it is still effective.
Another excellent and appreciated aspect of the film is its bits of social commentary on a few important things today. Again, I won't spoil what they are here, but I will say that more movies need to do this more often.
The Outfit is a solid thriller with top-of-the-line performances and some of the sharpest writing I've seen in a while. Absolutely, without question, check this one out.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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