‘Sharper’ Review: Benjamin Caron delivers enjoyable razor-edged thrills
Beginning with a dreamy meet-cute straight out of a romantic comedy, Sharper soon proves to be anything but – deceiving audiences in a genre-switcheroo with the same crookery as the film’s characters. Soon enough, Benjamin Caron’s debut feature morphs into a full-fledged con-artist thriller, using title cards to interweave each leading character with the next.
The film opens with a meeting between Tom, the owner of a sleepy antique bookstore (Justice Smith) and Sandra (Brianna Middleton), a grad student. Once Sandra finally accepts Tom’s offer to dinner, the pair embark on an idyllic-looking relationship, filmed through the rose-tinted lens of cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen. However, their paradise is soon shattered by Sandra’s abusive brother, who urgently needs $350,000. When Tom suggests that the pair dip into his ill father’s hedge fund to secure the money, Sharper begins its razor-edged turn, using a non-linear approach to shock the audience with its first twist.
In fact, the film relies on twists and turns at every corner, with some feeling distinctively more predictable than others. Still, some moments will undoubtedly have the audience gasping in shock from their seats. Throughout the film’s two-hour runtime, we are slowly introduced to new leading characters, including Sebastian Stan’s smarmy yet beguiling Max and Julianne Moore’s conniving socialite Madeline.
Each actor plays their role exceptionally well, with Stan dominating his scenes with sanctimonious swagger and Moore every bit the sinisterly dramatic money-lover. Middleton switches personalities with impressive skill, leaving audiences to decipher her true intentions with every new event. The film is certainly enjoyable, and Caron’s unapologetic employment of constant deception at every turn is impressive.
However, Sharper often feels much more like an HBO miniseries condensed to fit into a feature-length film. When a title screen appears, dividing the film into five, you can’t help but wish that each segment was a different episode, allowing Caron to flesh out each character with greater depth. In doing so, Sharper would feel much less rushed, which becomes one of its downfalls in its last third. Moreover, John Lithgow’s billionaire Richard is not given nearly enough screen time, which leaves us questioning his true nature, subsequently posing a slight issue when his character becomes central to the plot.
Regardless, Sharper is still an enjoyable feature that satirises wealthy people’s obsession with money. The film is a swanky, high-class endeavour that slowly shatters the illusion of security for both the characters and the audience. At times it feels as though Caron has bitten off a little more than he can chew, but that doesn’t stop Sharper from impressing with good wit and occasional cutting-edge.
