Sharper Movie Review
“Sharper” has the kind of opening scene that will immediately reel in bibliophiles. It’s set in a cosy book shop that sells “old & rare” editions, and the young man running the place asks a beautiful PhD student out on a date. The two meet, drink and discuss their favorite classics, with the girl revealing she is an orphan who fell in love with books after reading Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre”. And despite the dreamy “meet cute” that would perfectly fit in the romance genre, “Sharper” is no love story, but a tale of an elaborate American con.
Written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, “Sharper” has been directed by Benjamin Caron who is known for his work on “The Crown” and “Sherlock”. Divided into distinct chapters, each named after a character, viewers are first introduced to Tom (Justice Smith), a wealthy trust-fund kid who runs a book-shop and falls in love with the troubled Sandra (Briana Middleton). Sandra isn’t who she claims to be and flashbacks reveal she has a criminal history and works for con artist Max (Sebastian Stan). So the second chapter focuses on Sandra, the third on Max and the plot progresses like an interesting tag game, with lots of lies, deception, cheating and backstabbing thrown in the mix. Writing about any more plot details would serve as major plot spoilers, so let’s just say “Sharper” is all about duping people loaded with money.
Julianne Moore plays a crucial character called Madeline, but doesn’t appear in the movie until nearly half the runtime is over, so viewers are kept guessing where does she fit in the bigger picture. But like some of the promotional posters suggest – she is crucial to the plot. Madeline is a curious character, and revealing anything about her would be a spoiler, so all I’ll say is that Moore sure knows how to pick meaty roles. The cinematography employs numerous warm, dimly lit shots to cultivate a palpable ‘thriller’ ambiance. The majority of the story unfolds within indoor settings such as homes, office spaces, or hotel rooms. This deliberate choice subtly evokes a sense of claustrophobia throughout the runtime, or perhaps, I may have been overanalyzing things.
What I appreciated about “Sharper” is how everything is subtly foreshadowed before the actual twists occur. So, while most viewers might initially consider the plot predictable, it turns out not to be. I can’t help but feel that this might have been better suited as a series to allow the characters more room to develop and connect with the audience. With a two-hour runtime and four protagonists, everyone gets significant screen time, but it’s challenging to root for anybody. The climax was a little too staged, but there’s a sense of justice by the end, which came as quite the surprise.
Overall, “Sharper” is an interesting con movie, but it falls a little flat when it comes to establishing an emotional connection with viewers.
Rating: 7 on 10. You can stream “Sharper” on Apple TV.
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