For a film maker who was retiring Steven Soderbergh certainly makes a lot of movies. His latest, the classically themed crime noir No Sudden Move, is one of his stronger of late. For me his work is all over the map from the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fortunately this one is really good.
No Sudden Move revels in the genres classic tropes in a way that feels fresh and alive. It's a loving homage and never feels cliche. Soderbergh starts his tale with a delicious intro which sets out the story, the stakes, and who the characters are, getting us into the heart of the tale. He doesn't waste time but he also doesn't rush. The film doesn't feel economical. It's just enough to submerge us into the narrative and the lives of its inhabitants. From there his film, drenched in rich colours and shot through a washed out palette with dim lights, runs us through its caper and we are along for the ride no matter what.
This is a dream cast. Cheadle and Del Toro are the centre of it and they each bring their A game, and each has a wonderful A game. But the supporting cast, filled with some delightful surprises, all bring it home. The film achieves high levels of intensity due to how strong the cast is in bringing this story to life. The whole thing is just a joy to watch.
I'm going to throw out a controversial take. This may be Soderbergh's best film (at least since Out of Sight). This is coming from someone who doesn't tend to enjoy his work. But in this case he hit all my buttons. And I can't recommend it enough.
No Sudden Move
Starring: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Kieran Culkin, Noah Jupe, Bill Duke, Julia Fox, Matt Damon
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Ed Solomon
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