Grab A Mutton Chop. 'Green Knight' (2021) Is Sweet

Here’s what we know for sure - its nice to go to the movies again. Happily holding our Icees with our pinkie fingers because the other 8 are coated in butter and salt, whispering “that looks ok” to each other after texting through the first 30 seconds of a preview trailer. David Lowry’s The Green Knight was very enjoyable reacquaintance. It was worth the ticket price, but not for reasons that I would have predicted. If I’m told a film was produced by A24, I think: character driven story, with an edge to it; a filmmaker’s vision baked in, making itself known in every scene. They always seem to choose stories so wisely, and I’m not convinced that this $15 million could not have been better spent elsewhere. The Green Knight is not as mercurial as A24’s Uncut Gems ( $19M), wasn’t as prescient/witty as Lady Bird (A24, $10M) or as authentic a window into livelihood as Moonlight (A24, $1.5M). But here they are in the same conversation - so it must be doing something right. 

Several things, as a matter of fact. Alicia Vikander plays Essel, the primary love interest of Gawain (Dev Patel). Vikander is spectacular. She hits the bedrock of what can be done in this role, with a shovel that is sharper than ever. Each monologue saturated with rich back story, and in scenes with costars, she is a tide that raises all boats. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo also merits mention - there are scenes in The Green Knight that will freeze you mid chew. Particularly, an arial shot where we follow protagonist Gawain travel through a European country cliffside; the camera outpaces Gawain, and we’re now rapidly drifting into the horizon. The camera spins upside down while this happens, and we are at Lowry’s mercy now - along for the ride. The hills abruptly come to a cliff, as the ridgeline gives way to a dense mist, and among it, giants. No, those Milk Duds weren't laced. Massive, grey people, all walking in a certain direction. This kind of thing isn’t easy to write, as it’s very imaginative, but its even more difficult to execute. Lowry and A24 built the right team. That was awesome.

Keep in mind - the sound of the woodwork in a puppet show, the thunderous crack of a wax seal being snapped, this is the work that is quietly being done, drawing us deep into this medieval world. Come Christmas, an important decision must be made by Gawain (Patel). A moment arrives while Patel is in a bar fight when he looks up from the man he’s bloodied and sees the first snowfall of the season. The imminence of his situation dawns on him as he confronts his own behavior in real time. There are things built into the frame of this script are genuinely cool. Sure, there are a few droning Shakespearean monologues, but it sorta comes with the territory; it was adapted from a 14th century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a standout among the British Arthurian stories by an unknown author.  Brilliant camerawork sells the mystique of the legend. Notably, a shot of Gawain restrained and writhing on the ground, that pans clockwise into the forrest and continues, all the way around until Gawain enters the frame again, this time a skeleton. Clothing and bone - and then around again. He’s back, for now.

I suppose I’ll balance the scales here a bit, though not by much. It wasn’t flawless. Firstly, there were some breathtaking shots that were kind of thrown away. I could have used a bit more of a soak in that enchanted environment. He travels with a fox for a portion of the film - perhaps Lowry could have chosen to sprinkle in some more establishing drone coverage, for example, in these sequences to remind us of the beautiful desolation in which the story unfolds. Even living longer in certain frames that were already in the movie would have helped. The Green Knight starts a bit slow. It is worth the wait, but I didn't find it entirely necessary. The choir soundtrack was a bit overused, as was the use of slow motion.

It strikes me that it may bother some, my using words like ‘cool’ or ‘awesome’ while describing this film - maybe it sounds like I’m trivializing it somehow. It is a mistake to be bothered in this way. The Green Knight reminds us of the joy of watching movies. I wonder though, if it comes off as insulting - is this because it tried to be more than that? 

For a moment, at the end, I got the impression that it was attempting to pack me a lunch; some sort of takeaway message that is larger than the film itself that I can snack on later on while washing the dishes, or brushing my teeth. A Hail Mary, hopefully raising the cash value of what we just watched. Something about the dangers of cowardice. I suppose it is careful not to mimic a traditional hero tale, as it makes room for moments that mock its protagonist. But this felt a bit half hearted, a last minute twist to make a point that probably warranted more attention. If the kingdom’s demise, after a lapse in courage by Gawain, is the counterfactual that should literally scare him to death, I think this scenario should have been awarded more screen time.  However this was hardwired in, as it was written in the poem, and the film was already on the longer side, clocking in at 2hr 10m. Forgiveable, given all else on the menu. But let’s not pretend that the poem’s wisdom is the where attention should be paid when watching The Green Knight. Thats like buying a picture frame because you liked the couple in the stock photo. It’s a cool flick. Like an acid trip at a renaissance fair. An intense, good looking, warm ‘welcome back’ from A24.