Suburbicon
Director: George Clooney
Year Released: 2017
Rating: 1.5
In the 50's, the fictitious town of "Suburbicon" - an all-white community - goes through turmoil when an African-American family shows up - meanwhile, a businessman (Matt Damon) is in plenty of trouble over insurance fraud (investigated by Oscar Isaac) and the arranged murder of his wife (Julianne Moore). It should be no surprise that the script is by the Coen Brothers, since it feels like their goofier black comedies - like late period Hitchcock - except the social commentary couldn't be more flagrant (and overly simplistic): lashing out at the black people so white folk don't have to confront their own demons ... and what's going on in their own basements (nice use of a ping pong paddle!). It only becomes loopy fun once Isaac appears, where there's an abundance of homicides ... and blackmail ... and poisonings ... and the Coens referencing the closet scene in Burn After Reading.
