Today’s quick review: No Sudden Move. Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle), Ronald Russo (Benicio Del Toro), and Charley Barnes (Kieran Culkin) are hired by Doug Jones (Brendan Fraser) to force Matt Wertz (David Harbour), an accountant for General Motors, to steal a secret document from his boss. But when Matt fails to find the document, Jones betrays Goynes and Russo, leaving them to pick up the pieces of the botched operation themselves.
No Sudden Move is a historical crime drama directed by Steven Soderbergh. Set in Detroit in 1954, No Sudden Move follows a pair of criminals who get caught up in a high-stakes game of corporate espionage. Left with a choice between escaping with their lives and trying to profit from their precarious situation, Goynes and Russo decide to push their luck and steal the missing document for themselves.
No Sudden Move is an intricately constructed crime drama with an ensemble cast. Much of the story involves Goynes and Russo trying to improve their position, either by learning more about who wants the document or negotiating a better price for it. Their scheme eventually ropes in two crime bosses, various corporate interests, and a host of secondary players. Seeing the situation escalate is one of the main draws of the movie.
However, No Sudden Move is too complicated for its own good. Tracking who knows what, who is planning to betray whom, and what questions have yet to be answered is a full-time job for the audience. The movie also wastes time on subplots that ultimately do not matter, increasing the complexity without increasing the payoff. Finally, the movie does not spend much time on character development, instead focusing on the mechanics of the plan.
No Sudden Move has value as a crime drama, but its roundabout storytelling limits what it can do. Viewers with a taste for schemes and betrayals will find that the movie has plenty to offer, including a star-studded cast and a plot that’s hard to predict. But No Sudden Move spreads itself too thin and misses out on the sharp pacing, thematic connections, and nuanced character work seen in some other crime movies.
For another crime drama about low-level criminals who get in over their heads, try Killing Them Softly, Layer Cake, or Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. For a darkly gripping crime drama with a similarly intricate web of alliances and betrayals, try Miller’s Crossing. For another complicated crime drama with more carefully laid plot twists, try L.A. Confidential.
[6.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11525644/). I give it the same for an interesting but unfocused story.