Murder Mystery Chronicle – Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston Fun in Netflix Comedy | Movie

AThe monstrous contract of Sandler's eight films with Netflix came at once as a blessing and a curse for those who had undergone one of her last eight self-produced theatrical releases. Even though it allowed most of us to pretend that he had stopped working (points for those who are even aware of what Sandy Wexler is), it also allowed him to continue doing the same. same movies for which even his most pbadionate fans had stopped buying tickets. Its streaming has been predictable, until now punishable, and one would expect the same from his last, who reunited with Jennifer Aniston, who played in the comedian Just Roman Go With It.

But while this film may not capitalize on its star couple, their second attempt, the roughly titled Murder Mystery title, is a much more satisfying experience, a surprisingly nimble summer comedy that finds Aniston and Sandler as the most charming. They play the role of a married couple leading a rather sober life in New York: it is about Nick, a cop pretending that he is a detective while she is Audrey, his ignorant hairdresser woman who seeks even more romance. He owes him a European honeymoon and, on the occasion of his 15th birthday, he ends up surrendering and the couple goes abroad for a well deserved getaway. But after Audrey became friendly with a suave playboy (Luke Evans), they found themselves invited to a luxurious yacht party organized by a billionaire (Terence Stamp) who was quickly found dead , leaving the couple as the main suspect.

Murder Mystery may well come in a much less glamorous package, introduced by the director of Game Over, Man !, But there is a propulsive surveillance that always makes it slip. It starts on a rocky terrain with characters that define themselves clumsily and a scenario based on gender stereotypes at the sitcom level (in one scene, a group of women complain that their husbands do not do the dishes enough) but once the couple is in the air, smooth considerably. Zodiac and White House Down screenwriter James Vanderbilt's script is rather zipped and relatively intelligent, playing as a quick mix of Game Night and Manhattan Murder Mystery. The character of Aniston is obsessed with trashy crime novels such as RSVP Murder and brings self-awareness to the Clue-style drama unfolding around them. She and Sandler are comfortable in their wheelhouses, but if this has led them in the past to fly autopilot, they can here confidently rely on the charm of their movie star.

Here, nothing is big, but it's a bit of a draw and it's a pleasure to watch two stars aware of what the public expects of their audience without taking this knowledge for granted. They play up their guys par excellence, but in a way that never feels called, and there is a married couple chemistry that makes their quarrels more credible. Unlike previous Sandler comedies, the dialogue is for the most part tight and free of fanciful opportunities. He is also less childish than we usually see him, with the exception of a hard joke. It's unquestionably the best we've seen in years, apart from its impressive independent film starring Noah Baumbach and Paul Thomas Anderson, and it's also particularly gratifying to see Aniston play arguably his first successful comedy role since 2013. between the two strewn with dross.

The last decade has been marked by a slight rise in the number of action comedies, this combination appearing to be a smart way to expand the audience for both genres, but it is a difficult hybrid to obtain. Too often, the action seems fictitious or the comedy too broad, but to Vanderbilt's credit, he succeeds mainly. The mysterious element of the plot is mysterious but knowingly, and the scenario plays on our knowledge of the thriller structure through Aniston's feverish feverishness to recognize the cliché. What's missing is a more visual filmmaker at the helm, with the film looking a little pedestrian, especially in relation to Game Night, where directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein added a distinct aesthetic to a set similar.

Another disappointing year for studio comedies and even if it will not participate in the big screen, Murder Mystery is a remarkable success, even if it exists in an area where the bar is very low. Sandler may not be forgiven for the moment, but that proves that he is able to do better. It would be wise to leave Aniston in the next three places as well.