Writer & Director
Asghar Farhadi
(A SEPARATION, ABOUT ELLY, THE SALESMAN, THE PAST)

Stars
Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Carla Campra, Ricardo Darin, Inma Cuesta, Bárbara Lennie and Eduard Fernández

This eighth feature film to be directed by acclaimed Iranian-born filmmaker Asghar Farhadi isn’t his strongest, but has plenty of appeal and is the most accessible piece of foreign cinema he’s produced to a worldwide audience yet. The second movie directed by Farhadi that is set outside of his country of birth, EVERYBODY KNOWS stars Penelope Cruz as Laura, a married Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires with her husband, Alejandro (Ricardo Darin) and their two children, Irene (Carla Campra), a flirtatious teenager and young son Diego (Iván Chavero). Laura and the two children are travelling to her hometown near Madrid, Spain to attend the wedding of Laura’s sister, Ana (Inma Cuesta). As one night of celebrations unfolds, several years worth of family secrets are forced out into the open after Laura makes an unsettling discovery.

On paper, this premise sounds tantalising. Especially when you consider the high standard of storytelling demonstrated in previous bodies of work by the Oscar-nominated writer and director of this Spanish language drama. Though no disaster by any stretch of the means, EVERYBODY KNOWS is never quite the gripping mystery it was destined to be and is rather stretched itself at 133 minutes in length.

Thankfully, the best of what EVERYBODY KNOWS has to offer is maintained throughout much of its duration. That all begins after the joyous wedding celebrations, which introduces every important family member in entertaining fashion, are abruptly brought to an end. During this period of time, EVERYBODY KNOWS studiously forms into an alluring and intelligently deceptive mystery film that constantly shifts the spotlight on who might be a suspect, and why. Many clues as to who the true antagonist(s) of this film could be are eliminated as quickly as they’re given. Even Laura is harbouring some damaging secrets, one of which involves Paco (played by real-life husband, Javier Bardem) that will provoke viewers to question the true nature of her character.

Unfortunately for this 2018 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or nominee, its greatest let down is sourced from its greatest asset. The revelations behind the mystery summoned over the past two hours deserved better explanation and execution than what Asghar Farhadi has accomplished. Nevertheless, this somewhat underwhelming and less convincing outcome isn’t major enough to undo the dramatic core of this film, let alone the film as a whole. A core that is anchored by the most exemplary performance Penelope Cruz has given in many years.

3 ½ stars

Viewer Discretion
M (Coarse Language)

Trailer
EVERYBODY KNOWS

Moviedoc thanks Universal for the invite to the screening of this film.

Opens nationally on March 7

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc
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