by Cláudio Alves
This year’s been full of filmmakers commenting on other’s movies, auteurs criticizing blockbuster franchises and Hollywood stars lashing back. The Scorsese-Marvel wars are still active on social media and each day that goes by, another film professional adds their own two cents on the kerfuffle. To be honest, I don’t care about Chris Evans’ views on Scorsese or Michael Haneke’s opinion on Iron Man. However, it’d be lovely to read a certain Marvel-star’s reaction to the most delicious murder comedy of the holiday season.
Wouldn’t everyone love to know what Gwyneth Paltrow thinks of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out? I certainly would…
In this wacky whodunnit, Toni Collette plays Joni Thrombey, the spoiled daughter-in-law of a revered crime novelist whose untimely death propels the entire narrative. She’s introduced to us right at the start of the story, one of many family members recounting the happenings of her father-in-law’s fateful last night. Her story is full of little pauses, hiccups of self-aggrandizing and airheaded remarks. When a mysterious figure reveals himself to be the famous detective Benoit Blanc, Joni promptly mentions she read a tweet about a New Yorker article about him.
Within the film’s habitat of rich assholes, Joni is a different breed of beast altogether. It’s impossible not to laugh at her antics but there’s something vaguely endearing about her nonsense and selfish absurdity. When she starts going on about her work as an influencer and her lifestyle enterprise called Flam, you get why this insufferable economical leech is so familiar, monstrous and enticing, all at the same time. It’s because she’s Gwyneth Paltrow, of course.
Joni isn’t a direct parody of the almighty Goop, but she’s awfully close and it’s hilarious. Whenever she’s onscreen, Collette steals everyone else’s spotlight, dancing manically on a corner or pouting with piteous shamelessness. In the face of such a comedic delight, it’s difficult not to wonder what Gwyneth Paltrow might think of the film. Does she recognize parts of her public persona in Joni or does it not register? Did she laugh or take it as an insult? I want to know. I guess I’m not alone. So, if any reporter out there gets the chance to interview Gwyneth, please ask her about Knives Out instead of starting another round in the Scorsese-Marvel endless debate.
Was Toni Collette’s Goop-esque Joni your favorite part of Knives Out?