Movie Breakdown: The Outfit

Pre-Screening Stance:

Admittedly, The Outfit has managed to completely fly under my radar, and the only thing I really know about it is that it stars Mark Rylance. Fortunately, I really like Mark Rylance, which in turn – I suppose – means I’m excited to see this movie.

Post-Screening Ramble:

I had a great time with The Outfit. It follows a tailor, Leonard (Mark Rylance), over the course of a single evening as he attempts to navigate a dangerous situation. You see, there are mobsters who regularly use his shop to send and receive secret messages, and they’ve both taken over the premises and detained him while waiting for some heat to cool off. A game of cat and mouse then ensues.

Here’s all you really need to know, Mark Rylance is absolutely fantastic in this movie. His Leonard appears to be a soft spoken gentleman whose only interest in life is crafting suits, but he’s actually much, much more than that, and Rylance showcases this by masterfully gliding back and forth from aloof to calculated. Making this even more impressive is the fact that this film carries a very theater-like feel due to its single setting – Leonard’s shop – which means that Rylance also manages to pull off his layered, winding performance without any visual distractions to assist him. As for the rest of the film, I think it does get a little too clever for its own good and there’s what sort of feels like a twist or two too many, but – like me – you’ll likely be too enamored with Rylance for it to really bother you.

You should definitely see The Outfit. The film will hit theaters this Friday, March 18.

One Last Thought:

There are a lot of brief but very good performances in this film. My favorite of the bunch? Nikki Amuka-Bird as one of Chicago’s leading mobsters – I found myself hanging on every single word she let out.