by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
You wanna know the truth about artists and creators? Sometimes they get so far up their own ass that they start believing their own crap is a refreshing rainfall. I’m not saying artists are not creative people, and that they don’t offer value to a society, but feeding an ego of an artist too much can lead them to do absolutely insane actions. Opus gives us a nice portrait of the absolute worst case scenario. Unfortunately, the movie is also near worst case scenario with its misguided and bizarre series of events.
When historic and reclusive pop star Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) unveils a new album, upstart Ariel (Ayo Edebiri) jumps at the chance to learn more about the icon. Journeying to his compound, Ariel and a few other journalists get a behind-the-scenes look at the life Alfred leads. As the weekend goes on, it slowly becomes clear that not everything is copacetic. Perhaps the people Alfred is living with aren’t so spiritually enlightened. Even Alfred seems less eccentric artist and more vicious narcissist. So instead of asking probing questions about the art, Ariel is probing to find a way to survive.
Any movie with two leads like Edebiri and Malkovich will have a strong level of quality. Malkovich has a storied and varied filmography that anyone would be envious of. Edebiri is a little younger, but has already established herself as an up-and-comer. So if nothing else, these two bring their A-game. He is uniquely captivating, while she is relatable and easy to root for. With them at the helm, we’re never lost.
But let’s not kid ourselves: We are lost in the cultural vibes going on out there. It is never made exactly clear why all these mysterious things keep happening. Of course there’s danger looming, but why there’s danger escapes us. I know that it wouldn’t be spelled out, but having more information available to us would’ve been helpful.
Perhaps part of what confuses us even further is how brutal the cinematography is. The movie goes for the gore sometimes. If we knew why victims were being beheaded or tortured, perhaps the violence would have more meaning. It certainly has the desired frightening effect — I just wish there was more to it.
But what really irks me overall is the bizarre final confrontation. I get that the main character is supposed to be out of his gourd, but we are once again left out in the wind. We don’t get any kind of clear final explanation, nor is there some solid ending. The movie has spent the entire time focusing on this artist nonsense or that. And being so far focused on this nonsense, it loses sight of any theme to be solidified in a final conversation between our two leads.
Long story short: This movie has no answers for the load of dumb questions its artists are asking.
Rating: Didn’t Like It
Opus is currently playing in theaters
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