Suburbicon (2017) (Review)


Within George Clooney's Suburbicon, two solid, rather promising films exist: the problem is, like blood on white linen, those two elements don't work together, and the overall picture is hindered considerably by having them play out in the shadows of the other.

In white-picket-fence America in the late 1950s, the arrival of an African-American family in the all-white neighbourhood of Suburbicon fuels major racial harassment from the locals. In the same neighbourhood, Gardner Lodge's house is broken into by robbers and his wife killed. Her twin sister, Margaret, moves into the house to take care of Nicky, the child of the family, and slowly begins to transform into her late sister. While Suburbicon's tagline reads 'where your problems disappear', the film's issues are actually amplified by the conflicting storylines that lie within.

When you consider that this film is from the same studio that brought us Darren Aronofsky and Jennifer Lawrence's enigmatic mother! (a piece enshrouded in so much the secrecy that very few plot details were ever released) Suburbicon was awfully generous with its plot secrets throughout its marketing, making no attempt to conceal some of the surprises. While I won't go as far as to say the trailers ruin the picture, they do it absolutely no favours, divulging major plot twists that would have considerably elevated the film had they have been surprisingly revealed. Should restraint have been exercised throughout the admittedly difficult-to-nail promotion process, a far more subversive, exciting end product would have no doubt been created. Alas.

The cracks in Suburbicon's structure are most evident and wholly damaging through its mis-handling of racism. What could have been a potent and timely examination of intolerance and racialism in the crooks of America is simply relegated to a side-note, the sort of plot flourish film-makers use to pad out their feature-length. When the theme is introduced and the bitter resentment rises, it sets up a fine exploration of the horrendous attitudes we still see today - but in this effectively exaggerated, unnerving manner that highlights the concern fantastically. But rather than embrace it from this point out, the film saunters past the details in such an uncompromising manner, as if exploring this segment of the story is a drain on its resources and time.

Racism is such an important topic and totally appropriate for the era in question, but there's no thought or care placed into developing it beyond briefly skimming past some white thugs jumping on black folks' cars and setting their property on fire. When a Confederate flag is strewn across their window, it deserves to be a sickening moment (because it is) - yet the film handles it so breezily, barely sticking around for more than a few seconds to really convey the situation and the (obvious) severity of it. It underplays it in such a disappointing, almost offensive way that it works to the film's detriment.

To no surprise I learned afterward that Suburbicon is quite literally two films jammed together: the Coen Brothers first wrote the script in 1986, where it consisted only of the Matt Damon-Julianne Moore plot, was infused with Clooney's 'white picket fence racism' storyline when the film entered pre-production. The laboured effort to interweave the two is so haphazard and unbalanced that each story is prevented from reaching the heights it so could attain if the two ideas were kept separate - or, potentially, given more justified, equal footing. Instead, the far less-weighted (but arguably more entertaining story) is given the limelight over the politically-charged (more interesting and relevant tale), creating an uneasy combination that is tonally misjudged.

Yet, despite its mis-handling of such an important theme, the hinderance of the two stories upon each other and the poor, spoiler-filled marketing, Suburbicon features a lot of promise. You can see what the film is aiming for and what it is trying to say: it is well-intentioned despite misguided execution. The set pieces are pulpy and the direction is solid, with some striking visuals and terrific costumes; the pristine aesthetic makes the bloodied, dirtied characters and their situation all the more bolder, and the more vivid, creating a visually striking experience.

Alexandre Desplat's fantastic soundtrack is packed with personality and energy, a sonically-confident and varied experience that truly enhances this barmy little picture.  Characteristically quirky and playing homage to the period-era, it is bursting with television-like jingles and merges the various tones and genres far more effectively than the actual film manages. It provides Suburbicon with menace, humour, intensity and discomfort in different breaths, curating a sharp and exciting score that deserves recognition come award season.

Suburbicon thankfully excels further through its solid performance. Matt Damon balances the fool with the mastermind terrifically, providing a sharp and satirical turn as Mr Lodge. As the plot untangles around him, Damon does a fine job at keeping his storyline on track, developing the appropriate emotion effectively. Juilanne Moore is clearly having a blast, in a twisted performance as camp as it is threatening. You get the sense that she is the mastermind behind it all, cocking the gun and aiming it in position without actually pulling the trigger: as she did in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, it makes for an intriguing, enigmatic character who uses her forced facade like a new outfit.

 Similarly, Oscar Issac hams it up phenomenally, in a supporting role I would argue is the film's MVP; it's frothy and witty and sharp and gleeful. While somewhat underutilises, he is a joy to have around when he does crop up. Noah Jupe is fantastic too as the Lodge's only child, meeting the requirements of a demanding role confidently and with skill beyond his years. He's definitely one to watch in the future.

With such a fine line-up of talent, the end product cannot help but feel like a slight disappointment. While well-meaning and good-intentioned, Suburbicon cannot decide upon the film it wants to be: it tries to be a social satire, a mystery drama-horror and film about America's race problems (both of the past and of the present) but it is so discordantly pieced together, with an unflattering emphasis on the former rather than the latter, that the flaws are almost unforgivable.

You find yourself questioning how it becomes so messy and problematic: who let a story about appalling racial harassment - one so timely - become an unspectacular, distracting side-show to a martial-drama spotlight-hogger. In its failure to find an equilibrium and attempt to be so much more than its resources allow, Suburbicon's two separate plot strands fail to coalesce into a film more than a sum of its parts - in fact, the two impede each other and Suburbicon's picture-perfect setting hides from dirty flaws.


(6/10) 

Summary: Two decent films are outlined in Suburbicon, but they don't belong together: when you sideline timely themes of racism for somewhat-slapstick poisoning escapades and diluted social satire, you know you have a tonally misguided film that fails to live up to its potential on your hands.