Opus review
John Malkovich steals as much of the show Opus’s script allows him to.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Opus
Directed by Mark Anthony Green
Written by Mark Anthony Green
Starring Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Melissa Chambers, Tony Hale and Stephanie Suganami
Opus Review
There’s something interesting about Opus. I’m not sure I ever figured out what that is. I’m equally sure that Opus didn’t either. Perhaps it’s as simple as John Malkovich’s wonderful performance as a reclusive pop star. That’s as close to something tangible that Opus offers to grab onto. It’s an extremely entertaining performance…stuck inside a movie that often seems too unsure of itself to pull you all the way in. Then races through its climax so swiftly you’re more likely to get whiplash than entertainment.
Ariel (Ayo Edebiri) is desperate to make her name as a writer. Her fortunes turn when she receives an unexpected invitation to legendary pop star Alfred Moretti’s (John Malkovich) secluded compound for a listening party. Moretti has been a ghost for nearly three decades. His new album is the biggest of big deals. Once she arrives, however, Ariel believes she’s found a more interesting story to write about. The strange cult like religion Moretti seems to sit at the head of.
To get it out of the way…Opus has a setup quite similar to recent festival favorite Pater Noster and the Mission of Light. The two movies approach what happens once we reach the musician’s lair very differently. To be blunt…Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is much more entertaining. Opus, however, does have Malkovich in its pocket. That’s nearly worth the price of admission itself. Malkovich is perfect here. Menacing in his John Malkovich way. Note perfect as a reclusive pop icon. One specific scene, where he performs for his selected guests, is as good of a moment as we are likely to see on screen this year. He’s terrific.
Edebiri turns in a strong performance as well. Unlike Malkovich, however, Edebiri’s Ariel inevitably gets the short end of the narrative stick. The slow burn of Opus finally explodes…and then stops just as suddenly. Ariel’s earned moments are omitted for reasons beyond comprehension. Instead, Opus employs a time jump to explain itself. Now…that explanation includes the story’s best idea. An idea that would have been more impactful had Ariel’s journey been allowed to come to a proper conclusion first. She’s a resourceful and intelligent final girl…Opus removes the fun most films have with the archetype’s turn at bat.
Ariel is just one of Moretti’s invites. Her boss is also on the list…along with a popular influencer, a famous paparazzi, an Emmy winning TV star, a podcast host and others. Ariel immediately feels that the vibes are way off. Even given what you would expect from a pop icon who has spent 30 years in seclusion. Every guest is assigned a personal concierge…who follows them everywhere like a prison guard. Ariel’s concierge is played by a menacing but under-utilized Amber Midthunder (Prey, Novocaine). Ariel can tell a cult when she sees one. Her stay turns into an investigation into the people in the commune…and what kind of religion it is they’re following.
The first two thirds of Opus play out like a slow trip not unlike Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Moretti’s guests slowly start to disappear…at least from Ariel’s point of view. We are shown what’s really happening. A choice that undercuts any attempt at misdirection or selling of misplaced paranoia. It attempts to wring tension out of Ariel’s investigation…and the assumption that it will lead her into trouble. But we can plainly see that she, like the others, is in trouble either way.
I’ve used the word slow a few times to describe the first hour or so of Opus. It’s a patient story…but it benefits from giving Malkovich the space to perform. The bigger issue comes in the final act. Opus burns through its most exciting moments like an afterthought. It’s a spectacle…but it’s not spectacular. Ariel earns a bigger flourish than Opus allows her.
That said…Opus does inevitably find a fine conclusion to its story. Even after it shoots itself in the foot slowly building to an explosion it can’t be bothered to embrace. Maybe that’s the “something interesting” I couldn’t figure out about the movie. An interesting idea that pays off a story that is largely told in an uninteresting way. At least we have Malkovich’s work to carry enough of the load to result in a decent movie that should have been much more.
Scare Value
Opus misplays its hand too often to reach the highs its cast and story make possible. It’s a bit too slow early on…and way too fast late. Almost as if it isn’t interested in having fun with the story and characters it builds. Only then does it reveal its best idea…a satisfying conclusion to an until then mostly unsatisfying movie. On the other hand, John Malkovich is flat out great. Sometimes that’s enough.
2.5/5
Opus Link
In theaters now – Fandango
