The Outfit has a seemingly meek and unassuming English tailor caught up with murderous gangsters. Oscar-winner Mark Rylance holds a master class in subtle duplicity. He threads the needle in a dangerous situation where lives are easily snuffed out. The Outfit is a scissors-sharp crime drama with a labyrinth of twists. It goes a tad overboard in a heated climax but packs a gut-shot of adrenaline.
In 1956 Chicago, Leonard Burling (Rylance) owns a bespoke tailor shop with interesting clientele. He works diligently and with great pride crafting sublime suits. Leonard ignores a steady stream of shady characters putting envelopes in a locked dropbox. His only friend and dear assistant, Mable (Zoey Deutch), dreams of escaping her drab life to travel the world. They both show great deference to the arrogant Richie Boyle (Dylan O'Brien), son of Irish mob boss Roy Boyle (Simon Russell Beale), when he collects the box. Richie is always accompanied by the scarred Francis (Johnny Flynn), a deadly hoodlum with a vicious disposition.
A fateful night has a panicked Richie and Francis stopping at Leonard's shop. They're on the run from the cops and rival gangsters. The Outfit, a national crime syndicate the Boyle's aspire to join, has given them important information. There's a rat in the Boyle's organization. Richie and Francis have a briefcase with evidence of the traitor. They want their trusted tailor to hide it. A risky undertaking when law enforcement and every criminal in town is searching for the briefcase.
Graham Moore's Directorial Debut
Graham Moore, the writer of The Imitation Game, is superb in his feature directorial debut. The Outfit takes place entirely in Leonard's shop. He has to craftily juggle lethal visitors from discovering each other and the briefcase. Moore's staging, editing choices, and Mark Rylance's excellent performance supply constant tension. You never know who is telling the truth or their agenda. The film does not pigeonhole itself with a play's delivery. Events in and out of the shop continually disrupt Leonard's survival strategy.
The Outfit does a great job of establishing characters. Then questioning if what we've learned is actually true. Different motivations surface in the hunt for the briefcase. The lines between friends and enemies blur considerably. Moore's script, co-written by Johnathan McClain, is never straightforward. A surprise-laden second act throws plenty of curveballs.
Leonard in The Outfit
The Outfit focuses a lot of screen time on Leonard's skill and meticulous nature. The protagonist considers himself a "cutter", not just a simple button-sewing tailor. Graham Moore has Leonard comparing his current sticky situation to making fine clothing. He has to satisfy the whims of customers; even when their choices are foolish. This deceptive placation also refers to Leonard's mind. His suits are appreciated, but no one respects or considers him adversarial. There's more to the cutter than fabric and sewing.
Every good film has a point when the story reaches a satisfactory and logical conclusion. But filmmakers lumber on with an irrepressible need for more. The Outfit's finale adds salt to a seasoned stew. The last five minutes should have been trimmed. A cut that Leonard would definitely make.
The Outfit is a production of FilmNation Entertainment, Focus Features, Scoop Productions, and Unified Theory. It will have a theatrical release from Focus Features on March 18th.