OUTFIT

UK, 2022, 105 minutes, Colour.

Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O'Brien, Johnny Flynn, Simon Russell Beale.

Directed by Graham Moore.

What’s in a name? In the past, the word “outfit” referred to what one was wearing. But, then came the gangster films and many of us thought first of mob organisations when we curb the word “outfit”. Both meanings are relevant here.

This is a surprisingly interesting drama. In fact, while the setting is Chicago in the 1950s, it is a British film, filmed in London studio, a single set, the interior of a tailoring shop, with some glimpsing shots outside the store in the snow. And the cast is principally British plus two American actors.

Audiences familiar with the work of Mark Rylance will correctly have strong expectations – after all, he was the director of the London Globe Theatre for a decade and has been a significant presence on the large and small screen (Cromwell in Wolf Hall and an Oscar for his performance in Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies). We watch his meek and reticent manner at times as Leo Burling, insisting to those who refer to as a tailor that he was a “cutter”, making the top-class suits by hand. In fact, he does the voice-over and begins by explaining to us the various steps of choosing fabrics, measuring, cutting, sewing, producing his work. And he has a local assistant, Mabel, a strong-minded character played by Zoey Deutch.

But, even though we are focusing on the cutter and listening to his commentary, we notice the Al Capone tradition of Chicago, of a range of people coming in to deposit envelopes of money, checked on by the brash son of the local mob boss, Richie (Dylan O’Brien), always accompanied by his protector, Francis (Johnny Flynn). We are later surprised to see London theatre actor, Simon Russell Beale, as the father, the local boss.

The action takes place overnight. Richie and Francis come back to the shop, Richie wounded by an ambush from other gangsters. Leo sews him up. However, there is a confrontation between Richie and Francis and a jolting twist to the plot. We know that Leo is shrewd but we perhaps did not realise how shrewd in his handling of the consequent situation, the arrival of the young man’s father, information concerning two ambitious from other gangs in the city, the temptation to Francis that he could take over the leadership of his gang. And Mabel returning and caught up in the twists.

And, continually interesting, looking at Leo, listening to him, his shrewd and quiet manipulating of characters and events, even to the arrival of the rival gang, Lafontaine (led by Nikki Amuka-Bird).

At the centre all the intrigue is a tape-recording and somebody in the gangs feeding the information to the FBI.

This is a very well-written film, the intricacies of the plot, the tones of language to express each of the characters and their character, written by first-time director, Graham Moore, who had won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 2014 for the Bletchley-Alan Tuering drama, The Imitation Game.

This will not appeal to those who are eager for fast-paced action. But, it will of great interest to a generally adult audience which values plot, complexities, character.

1. A small budget drama, a single set, interiors of the shop, glimpses of the outside street and snow? A British film, filmed at a London studio? The British cast, American presence? Well reviewed and received?
2. Chicago, the mid-1950s of gangsters and the alcove tradition? Gangs, overall bosses, presuming audience knowledge of and response to this kind of gangster film?
3. The title, audience thinking of gangsters? Focus on the details of his work, making suits, outfits?
4. Mark Rylance and his screen presence, age, appearance, delivery of his lines, command of the screen?
5. Leo, the voice-over, explaining the step of making a suit, the fabrics, the four, the choices, measuring and marking, cutting, sewing, putting the suit together? The range of two throughout the film, and the fabrics and stock hanging in the shop?
6. Leo, his story, the war, the threat of blue jeans, British poverty after the war, moving to the United States and setting up? The revelation of the truth by the end, his work as a thug, the threats, the burning of the shop, the death of his wife and daughter? Coming to the United States, the connections with Roy Boyle and his gang, his son calling in, the sinister presence of Francis? The deliveries to the box in the store? The payments?
7. Mabel, from the area, her work in the store, devotion to Leo, her collecting images from buildings around the world, the gift from London, her wanting to travel, not wanting Leo to look after her, but her concern about Leo? The revelation of her relationship with Richie? The scene between the two? Roy discovering this?
8. The action taking place over one evening, Leo and his working, Richie and Francis coming, the issue of the tape, the gangs, LaFontaine, the threats? The return, Ricky wounded, Francis and his reaction, the gun, Roy, stitching the wound? Francis and his sense of menace, shooting Ricky? Their putting him in the trunk? This and his going out to sea Roy?
9. The gang situation, the police and their searching, the local gangsters, the French gangsters? Information, threats, ambushes?
10. Mabel, arriving, the revelation of her being the source of information to the FBI, the tape?
11. The arrival of Roy, his bodyguard, dominating presence, love for his son, searching for his son? Leo, the stories, notice, quietly talking, the threats to Mabel, the threat of torture? The phone call, Leo and interpretation, Roy and his decision to go after the gangsters? Francis and his staying, the continued menace?
12. LaFontaine, confrontation with Francis, his hiding, Leo’s setting him up, not telling the truth, Francis emerging, shot? The discussions with LaFontaine, her admiration for his work with the suits, the phone information for Roy, the rendezvous, his team destroyed?
13. Francis, the possibility of being in charge of the whole gang, the outfit? Greed, shot?
14. The truth about the tape, selling it to LaFontaine, the fourth tape, Leo and his hiding it, Is Also hiding the tape recorder, recording the hall evening’s events?
15. Mabel, going off to Paris, going to the FBI?
16. Francis, reviving, the confrontation with Leo, wounding Leo? Leo packing, to leave and start again, the story about his shears, the gift from his wife, and his images of fire, using the shears to kill Francis?
17. Leo, phlegmatic, packing, leaving, the impact of the events, but his being willing to start again?