A Talent for Murder review
Toronto film festival: A fictionalised version of the cantankerous crime author plots a murder with an ambitious editor in a story in need of a sharper edge
TL;DR
- The film attempts to revive the chamber-piece thriller genre, a style that gained prominence during COVID-19 restrictions.
- Helen Mirren portrays a fictionalized version of author Patricia Highsmith, who plots a murder with her ambitious editor, Edward (Alden Ehrenreich).
- The movie explores the blurring lines between fiction and reality as Highsmith and Edward devise a murder plot.
- Despite strong performances from Mirren and Ehrenreich, the film is criticized for a script that is not sharp enough and lacks genuinely shocking twists.
- The narrative structure divides focus, making Ehrenreich the de facto lead and limiting Mirren's screen time.