Film Review: SHARPER (2023): Benjamin Caron’s Film is Interesting and Has Plenty of Surprises and Tricks Up Its Sleeve

Sharper Review

Sharper (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Benjamin Caron, written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka and starring Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, Hannah Dunne, Giullian Yao Gioiello, Phillip Johnson Richardson, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Tom White, Patrick Cooley, Blaise Corrigan, Samara Joy and Doris McCarthy.

Director Benjamin Caron has crafted a winner with the new con artist thriller, Sharper. The film’s advertising campaign cons the audience before any character in the film does, though. After seeing this movie’s ads, one would expect Oscar winner Julianne Moore to be the lead. She’s in the film and has a substantial role but she doesn’t come on screen for quite a while (she appears at least 30 minutes in). A viewer may wonder if they’re in the right place and watching the right movie from the opening scenes of this new film. And, that’s the beauty of the picture. It’s so unpredictable that you never know which way the plot will turn next. Unique movies like this are always welcomed in a movie-going climate where a lot of what comes out is straight off the assembly line.

The film opens with Tom (Justice Smith), a lowly bookstore manager who has a female customer named Sandra (Briana Middleton) wander into his store looking for a specific book. Tom seems to be a man of average means and Sandra appears to be a sweet college student. Looks can be deceiving, though. Tom asks her out and she refuses the offer. Sandra’s credit card is declined for the book she chooses to buy. After Tom closes the store for the day, Sandra stops by to pay him for the book and to accept his offer to take her out on a date. They hit it off really well but Sandra’s brother comes by her apartment in need of money. Her brother needs $350, 000 we soon learn. If you want to be surprised by what happens next, stop reading. If you’d like a bit more plot development, read on ahead.

Tom is actually the son of a billionaire named Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow) and can get Sandra the money. When he gives her the cash, she abruptly disappears and thus the mystery begins. A little bit of the backstory of Sandra is revealed where she was groomed by a man named Max (Sebastian Stan) to be able to con people. Max meets Sandra when she is violating the conditions of her parole and takes her under his wing. Max asks her what her favorite movie is resulting in him showing interest in her response. Max doesn’t know much about the movie because he never saw it but he appears to. Thus, the art of deception is taught to Sandra.

Julianne Moore, always fabulous, portrays Madeline who is connected to Max. Madeline is also in a relationship with Richard Hobbes and as the plot unveils its complex themes, the viewer will most certainly be intrigued by this movie’s surprising turn of events. Of course, revealing any more plot would be a crime as this movie’s specialty seems to be its twists and turns in the story line which will certainly keep viewers riveted throughout.

Briana Middleton is the movie’s most valuable asset. She plays Sandra to perfection showing two sides of her character that are absolutely fascinating to watch. Sandra transforms from drug addict to Ms. Goody Two-Shoes and back again (maybe) almost seamlessly. It’s hard to know what to make of her character throughout the movie’s labyrinth of lies and deceit. Middleton still comes out of this movie a true star and her performance is the highlight of the movie.

Sebastian Stan is also well-cast in his pivotal role and he has some substantial scenes opposite both Middleton and Moore. In one scene, Max tries to manipulate Hobbes who seems very smart but who has the power to deceive who successfully? Who’s conning who here and why? That’s the question that will be on viewers’ minds all throughout the movie.

Moore is always perfect in pretty much every role she takes on and she plays her part of Madeline with a vengeance. There is a great deal of complexity in Moore’s work which makes us question which way her character will turn next. While it’s clear she’s motivated by money, we are always questioning what move she’ll make in the movie. It’s almost as if her character is playing a game of chess and she must make each and every move very carefully. What will happen due to the challenging moves she makes during the course of the film? See the picture.

While Sharper does throw in everything but the kitchen sink at the film’s conclusion, it’s a wildly entertaining story of deceptive characters who may develop feelings for others during the course of their journey. Director Caron doesn’t miss a trick and every plot detail moves the story forward in such a way that audiences will stay with the characters throughout and wonder which ones they like and which ones they don’t.

Sharper will work best for people who like to watch characters pull the wool over each other’s eyes, so to say. In the end, it’s still not definitively certain who the good guys or the bad guys were but the film is a good time that almost ranks right up there with The Usual Suspects or The Grifters as it goes through its paces unveiling its characters’ cons like a well oiled machine.

Rating: 8.5/10

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