The Thursday Murder Club is a cozy murder mystery with a distinct look. Everything from the lavish retirement community's production design to the comfortable wardrobe supports a softer side of what could have potentially been a grim story. (And I quickly recognized composer Thomas Newman's playful scoring style, which helps too.)The film follows four retirees at the Coopers Chase retirement village whose weekly cold case hobby turns serious when a real murder lands in their laps. The cast is a cavalcade of U.K. stars, including Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Richard E. Grant, and more, all of them seemingly having a ball in this romp of a story. - YouTube www.youtube.com Cinematographer Don Burgess brought the warm sentiment in via his luxuriant visuals, avoiding the dark, gritty crime look many might expect. While many other modern mystery films tend to go for cooler, desaturated, or harsh lighting to emphasize tension, Burgess used diffused lighting and the softer characteristics of Panaspeed lenses to create flattering skin tones with minimal harsh shadows. The warmth suggests nostalgia and comfort instead."Veteran cinematographer Don Burgess gives the visuals the sheen of a Victorian pearl," TIME Magazine’s review of the film noted.Their summer shooting schedule in England provided advantages, too. The daylight and garden-filled locations offered a foundation that supported the film's inviting tone. "Production designer James Merifield gives the settings some country-estate grandeur, and it is all richly photographed by Don Burgess," The Hollywood Reporter wrote...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Tuesday, 9 September