Coup!

Coup!
Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Skye Marshall
Directed by Austin Stark & Joseph Schuman

I'm always up for a good skewering of the upper class, with movies like "Triangle of Sadness" holding special places in my heart for such a tale. "Coup!" is one such tale along those lines, featuring lowly servants who rise against their wealthy uncaring oppressor and prove that they're worthy of being more than just someone else's servant. For a while in the movie I was drawn to the characters and their cute little tete-a-tete battle of wills and dominance, but then it all unravels completely in the end, leaving a sour taste in my mouth and wondering what the directors and writers were thinking in the first place.

During the Spanish Flu in 1918, writer Jay (Billy Magnussen) is a wealthy socialite living on an island mansion with his wife Julie (Sarah Gadon), their two young daughters, and a few servants (or "staff" as he insists them being called). He pretends to write on the front lines of urban riots despite not being there, coming off as a charlatan who seemingly cares for the lower classes but thinks himself higher than that.

Then he hires a new cook, Floyd Monk (Peter Sarsgaard), who doesn't appreciate being treated as a lowly servant. He rallies the other servants together to get themselves out of their dingy environment and live in the mansion with the family - but that's just the start. Floyd and Jay go head-to-head numerous times, vying to be top dog, and basically just making Jay's life a living hell. Yet in the end there can only be one, and it's a race against time to get there first.

The film runs at a cool 98 minutes, which I really appreciated even though at times it felt like it was dragging, but the visuals were really stunning and the costume and set designs were on point. It's one of those small movies that won't cause any ripples in the waves of either big blockbusters or awards-worthy pieces, but one that could've been enjoyed for what it was - until, again, the ending. There's very few movies where I left angry at the ending, but this was one of them. It's a complete tonal shift from the majority of the film, and while it does make sense in hindsight, it doesn't make it right to end on that sour note.

The performances are highly capable, especially the dual performances by Peter Sarsgaard and Billy Magnussen, who's Floyd and Jay go at each other almost from the start. Sargaard's Floyd is cocky and confident, but in a way that makes him more endearing than Magnussen's Jay, who comes across also as cocky and arrogant but in a way that remains self-indulgent, not thinking of anyone but himself. Floyd unites the servants together, giving them someone to follow to make their lives better - and that's ultimately Floyd's goal: to make his and the servants' lives better. It's commendable, like a Robin Hood-type figure who struts and remains two steps ahead of his more dull-minded Jay.

Magnussen, to his credit, allows himself to be immersed in the role and really give a smarmy performance that he's best known for. You want him to fail, and fail miserably, and seeing it happen time and time again is validating. He's a human punching bag for Floyd, and doesn't take it well, resorting to childish antics that backfire again and again. Floyd is definitely top dog in this movie, and no matter what Jay tries to do, he keeps losing traction.

There's not much more to say. This is a very simple film with a simple premise delivered simply enough, with great performances and set pieces, but totally misses the mark with the ending, resulting in a film that I won't remember, but if I do, I'll be angered by it.

The Score: C-