LIKES:
The Atmosphere: This movie is all about establishing an imposing and suspenseful atmosphere in probably the lowest intensity ever. And you know what... it worked for me. The Outfit is a very vague premise from the title, but in it you find a very classy, and intense atmosphere that does not involve creatures, bombs, or intense fighting scenes. This film takes a much laid back, and organized manner, where the intensity is trying to find out what will happen, how things will wind up, and what lies beneath the surface. As you are waiting for these answers, the movie continues to take elements to increase the suspense, and make you invest in the much simpler piece this film is made.
The Costumes: It's nothing like a Disney live action movie or a Harry Potter world, but the Outfit's clothes tell a story on their own at what goes on in this story. Much of the film takes place in a small shop fitted to making clothes, and the stories that they hold are very powerful. It's a mobster movie as you can see from the poster, but though they come from a similar cloth, each suit holds a power and character with it, helping to differentiate characters, and make a statement to the story. It works well to be honest and I was very happy with how things came out with it.
The Culture: This movie is all about the cultural mindsets and stereotypes of two worlds coming together. One of course in the dark corners of the Mafia family, while the other is of a cutter who finds business with these people. The two worlds dance in an uneven tone, with each new member adding to the odd exchange in an attempt to keep the situation at hand. Seeing the class of the Cutter trying to navigate the unruly attitude of the Mob boys was super intriguing to watch. I loved seeing the values, morals, and mannerisms come out, again making a big world in such a small space, once again maximizing so much in a small amount of work.
Decent Pacing of The Tale: For a tale with no action, the Outfit moves very well to my surprise. It's very easy to follow, twisting the plot and kinking the linear pace to feel engaging and interesting in the process. Each new act of the movie somehow painted a bit more of the mystery to solve, while also laying a new clue to help you connect the pieces. Story elements gradually drop as well, and this one night of intensity becomes a crock pot ready to blow with the pressure being seen. Very nice tactics to use for something with less action and moving.
The Dialogue/Writing: By far the biggest character moments is in the writing of this film, particular the dialogue our cast has to recite. The Outfit's words are not poetic sonnets meant to be quote, one liner capable of being the next TikTok scene, or even those inspirational lines that we love seeing. No, it's again a very witty and classy exchange of words as the stories that are being cast are put to the test of agonizing scrutiny by very powerful people. Each line uttered is like a sword on itself, a fencing match of intelligence and presentation in hopes of convincing the other to reveal the secrets and truth at hand. It's that writing that is very fitting of the time, the age, and the characters, not being forced as the characteristics come out in big in full light to potentially reward or punish those at hand. It's again very smart writing, and I loved how so much was through the words rather than the actions.
The Acting: By far the strongest aspect, is the acting that has to deliver the lines. Secondary characters do well for the limited time and involvement to make a believable member of the troop. However, the main characters are the ones that get a gold star in this role that really take the movie to the top. Dylan O'Brien is fine, his character a keystone piece to the drama, though his full-on screen time needed work. He manages to bring the arrogance and fire of a youthful mob son holds. He has the mouth, the cockiness, and the edge to deliver threats and he does well with the part, hitting new levels of quality that I had not expected. Zoey Deutch is lovely as always, a role that brings out the usual innocence she has in her characters, but soon she brings her own edge to the mix. She's confident, she can face the group, but there is a vulnerability there too as she was forced into the game. I loved her chemistry with the characters a lot, and she really made a great bridge character to the group. As for Mark Rylance, wow... he was incredible as he always is in his roles. The class I've been talking about is held in his character on so many levels. From the way he presents his world to the posture he holds, there is just an heir of top-level character melding that Rylance obtained in his field. It was like he and Leonard were one and the same, making a believable performance that this movie heavily depended on, given the screen time he held. A strong character and a performance to match, he may be the strongest aspect of this film.
DISLIKES:
The Short Screen Time of Several Characters: As I said, Rylance holds much of the screen time, while a lot of other characters spend a shocking amount of time off screen. The Outfit is able to bring the absence into a more story-oriented use, but I can't help but feel robbed of the other cast members' performances by them being gone for so long. More integration was needed for these groups, and I had liked more time with the other cast members to get the full involvement in the story.
Why Other Parts of The City Could Not Be Seen: As I said, the dialogue is super important to the story, as not only does it have to craft the characteristics, but also tells you what is happening in the world around them. Much of the film is cleverly taking place in this shop, but there is a lot happening in the streets of Chicago as well, and the world we could have inhabited. I'm not saying we needed to be running through the streets and ducking the gang fights, but I can say a little time outside of the shop would have done wonders for the film. Some of those characters that disappear from the screen, are out on those streets and getting to see these moments come out would have been nice at times.
The Background Info Is Bland: For most characters, there are potentially some juicy origin stories to dive into, particularly in the darkness they hold. However, The Outfit's stories are rather mediocre for my tastes, and even the ones with more meat did not quite get the full body presentation I think they wanted. Maybe it was in the interest of time, or maybe it was trying to take the artistic direction, but there was more for me that could have been delivered to really give the full twist to the mix.
The "Climactic" Finish: The one thing in this movie that felt off, was the final moment that felt like it was just in the wrong moment for this film. I liked seeing the last few parts of the character come to light and prove my theory, but this part seemed to just not fit into the pace of the rest of the movie. Even worse, this wrench in the gears really did not have impressive choreography or even really any tension, because most of the intensity had fled at this time. It felt like a last-minute attempt to interject some suspense and get the movie to over the 90-minute mark, but again it just did not feel needed.
The VERDICT:
The Outfit turned out to be a nice surprise in terms of the crime and drama element themes that the IMDB page promised. It's definitely not the usual gang busting, speed chasing, and bank robbing moment that we often get. No, instead, it's something with a lot more character development to it, using the subtle art of acting and good writing to tell the tale, rather than drown us in expensive scenes. The Outfit feels like a movie with a modern Shakespearean approach, and though the language is not as artsy, the presentation and intelligence are high for this film's writing making it the mightier pen of the crime and drama genres. However, the movie still could have used some doctoring up, trying to tie in more of the world and extend the world of the historical Chicago where so much happened. In addition, more characters needed to stay on screen helping further develop the information of their group, and maybe put more suspense into the film with the heated moods they took. Of course, the movie's end scene could have been different, and without the other scenes of action to support it, is a rather obscure finale to what was a calmer movie.
My scores are:
Crime/Drama: 8.0
Movie Overall: 7.0.
