A Talent for Murder review – Helen Mirren stars in hit-and-miss thriller
A fictionalised version of crime author Patricia Highsmith plots a murder with an ambitious editor in a chamber-piece drama that premiered at Toronto Film Festival.
The film, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, follows a confined narrative featuring Helen Mirren as a fictionalized version of the cantankerous crime author Patricia Highsmith. The story centers on Highsmith's character plotting a murder alongside an ambitious editor, employing dialogue-heavy storytelling typical of the chamber-piece subgenre that gained prominence during pandemic-era filmmaking.
Reviewer Guy Lodge compares the film to classic examples of talky thriller adaptations based on plays, including Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth and Sidney Lumet's Deathtrap. Lodge notes the film falls short of the "ingenious level of writing" required to match those predecessors, describing it as a "hit-and-miss" effort that lacks the necessary sharpness.
Sources
- A Talent for Murder review – Helen Mirren is a viperous Patricia Highsmith in hit-and-miss thriller — The Guardian — Culture
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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