It's been a while since I watched a thriller/mystery centred around con artists and this one reminds me of the likes of Catch Me If You Can (2002), American Hustle (2013) and Oceans 11 series. What am I saying? Sharper (2023) is a decent and fascinating crime/thriller that is watch-worthy!
Recent releases by Hollywood and other entertainment industries have been a little drab but seeing a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing about who is conning who is refreshing! Also, the images of Julianna Moore and Sebastian Stan on the film poster are good encouragement.
Sharper as the title suggests is a race to determine who is better and 'sharper' at the conning game. This psychological thriller focuses on Sandy who meets a rich bookstore owner, Tom, and they start to date and fall in love. She tells Tom of her brother who is in debt to the tune of $350,000. He gives her the money because his father is a billionaire. Sandy takes the money and disappears, leaving Ton distraught. He'd been conned.
*[Source](https://youtu.be/r00ldaPQbjs)*Next, we meet Max (played by Sebastian Stan), a con artist with his lover and partner Madeline (played by Julianne Moore), who pull jobs conning rich people out of their money. When Max and Madeline fall out, Max meets Sandy and teaches her the tricks of the trade, using her to defraud the oblivious Tom. When Tom searches for and finds a drugged Sandy, the conning scheme and facade faces an imminent domino collapse. Who will turn out as the con master?
Review
The plot of this film is superb but could be better. Its narrative is like jigsaw puzzles. It is structured in a non-chronological way. it is divided into separate parts, featuring different characters and events. It is up to the audience to piece together the events of the film in their mind to understand the overarching narrative. It may look a little confusing for viewers who are not ready to think deeply and so they may give up watching halfway. Don't!
I enjoy intriguing movies that keep me guessing as to how the characters would turn out at the end. Sharper is like a thrilling con game with viewers being fascinatingly conned from start to finish. As you watch the characters and the cons unfold and shift between various schemes, there's a satisfying thrill that builds until the final one falls into place. By the end of the film, I felt conned!
The cast's performance is outstanding. Julianne Moore is impeccable but Sebastian Stan stands out. Their chemistry is superb and convincing. Madeline's relationship with Max is the true catalyst of the events of the film. I enjoyed the switch of roles from a mother-son relationship to a lover-partner relationship. If I was Richard Hobbes, the billionaire, I would be convinced of the connection between these two. Brianna Middleton who plays Sandra (or Sandy) is fantastic too.
The only fault I find with this superb film is the rushed ending. It feels like a flurry of activity that adds to the confusion already present in the climactic scenes. The ending could have been better executed to have a more significant impact on the audience.
The cinematography, visual effects and editing are not bad. The non-linear storytelling and moody atmosphere are done with an effortless style that elevates the film above an ordinary crime/thriller.
I'll say we don’t get movies like this very often anymore. Movies that keep the audience on the edge of their seats, anxious and expecting the unexpected. I enjoyed watching the succession of betrayals, double-crosses and the shocking end.
In summary, Sharper is a brilliant film and watch-worthy. There's the use of drugs and language in it so it's not one for youngsters to see. I rate it 4 stars out of 5.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
