After WWII, Chicago. Leonard (Sir Mark Rylance) owns a bespoke tailoring shop. He worked in
London on Savile Row for years. He moved to Chicago after the war, arriving with only his trusty
shears. With those, he started his bespoke shop with little else. His first customer was Roy
(Simon Russell Beale), the head of the local gang that runs the neighborhood. His little shop is
just him and his receptionist Mabel (Zoey Deutch). Born and raised just down the road, she
dreams of getting out of town to travel the world.
Mabel knows that if she sticks around, her dreams of seeing the world will never happen. While
she is still stuck in the neighborhood, she bides her time working at the tailor shop. Roy, being
his first customer, has set up a dropbox in Leonard’s shop where information is done discreetly.
Every day, Roy’s son Richie (Dylan O’Brien), and his right-hand man Francis (Johnny Flynn),
goes to the shop to pick up the day’s envelopes to take back to Roy.
The Outfit is one of the Neo-Noir Films of recent offerings. The suspense and red herrings
stoke the intrigue wondering “who done it”. Mark Rylance provides a master class performance
as Leonard. His character’s subtle wit and elegantly timed lines are superb, giving the audience
an impressive, layered subject. He may be threading a needle, but it keeps one’s attention.
Zoe Deutch’s performance as Mabel shows growth in the past few years. She is able to get us
to see the innocent, naive, shop girl that drops the veil hiding the hard-talking woman hiding
behind the Doe Eyes.
The interaction between Richie (Dylan O’Brien) and Francis (Johnny Flynn) challenges the
dynamic because Richie feels that Roy treats Francis more like his son than he treats Richie.
That sows the seeds of discontent in the relationships.
The story is very well done. The editing was exceptional. Not a scene wasted. I enjoyed the film
very much. From the set decor, costumes, to the actors that gave magnificent performances. I
did not expect to enjoy the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much it held my attention.
If you enjoy Noir films, I highly recommend this one.
4.5 stars out of5
