Detour. Spoiler: This guy is so screwed (see: film noir). This movie also features one of the most intimidating wrecking balls of a femme fatale you’ll find.
Tag: filmnoir
The Long Goodbye
The Long Goodbye. It’s all mood and meandering. I’m often okay with that sort of thing, but this one didn’t totally click with me. Gould is an excellent Marlowe, though. I think this is the only Robert Altman movie I’ve seen.
Thief
Thief. Hell yeah. Fun stuff. Some good writing here and a great Tangerine Dream soundtrack. I love how the camera kind of zones out every now and then and the movie is all form (like the welding climax). I also like that this thief isn’t an MI-style sneaky ninja techno-athlete (or some kind of capoeira breakdancer coughOcean’sTwelvecough). He’s an old man. He’s got a limp. He wants to have a wife and kid. He uses power saws and hammers and welding torches. I forget how cool James Caan is. And Willie Nelson is in it! You can definitely see the influence on Drive.
Here’s my rankings for Michael Mann films I’ve seen so far. Strong, strong work:
- Heat
- Thief (not far behind)
- Manhunter
- The Last of the Mohicans
- Collateral
The Big Heat
The Big Heat. Here we see the repercussions of a righteous anger, an uncompromising pursuit of justice. I love that our hero has a strong marriage and family life when he’s not on his beat. I haven’t seen that in film noir before. I really like this Glenn Ford guy (see also: 3:10 to Yuma, Gilda). Metropolis is the only other Fritz Lang I’ve seen. I should probably watch M at some point.
Out of the Past
Out of the Past. Said it before, I’ll say it again:
OUT OF THE PAST. #greatestmovieofalltime
— Mark Larson (@mlarson) June 12, 2012
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Part of what sets it apart is an incredible script.
Ann: Every time I look at the sky, I think of all the places I’ve never been.
Jeff: Yes, and every time you look up, they’re all the same.
A: You’ve been a lot of places, haven’t you?
J: One too many.
A: Which did you like best?
J: This one right here.
A: I bet you say that to all the places.
I fear that my feelings about the rest of Jacques Tourneur’s work mirror my feelings about about Larry McMurtry’s:
I realized I can’t read another Larry McMurtry novel because it won’t be Lonesome Dove. #librarytweets
— Mark Larson (@mlarson) May 25, 2012
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To sum up, this is my reflex film. It’s what I turn to when there is no other hope. Though there are many very good reasons to love this film, my enthusiasm is now well beyond the bounds of rationality, and I won’t have it any other way.
Drive
Drive. Second viewing. (The first.) I told myself I was just going to watch the opening scenes again, but I kept going. This time around I find myself enjoying the directing and mechanics even more and the plot/characters so much less. I can’t handle the beach scene. Still, those first 20-40 minutes? That’s some good stuff.
Dark City
T-Men
T-Men. A B-movie mostly remembered for John Alton’s cinematography. Film noir is so mannered sometimes. Our modern sensibilities make many parts of this movie unintentionally funny, but of course that makes you like it more. Had a good mini-twist and a surprisingly touching death scene. This is the only Anthony Mann film I’ve seen, besides watching El Cid in high school Spanish class.
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success. It’s about information, and what you can get for it. This is a cynical film, but somehow you’re never far from a punchline. Awesome movie. Tony Curtis is truly incredible. (I really liked him in Some Like It Hot, too.) First time I’ve seen Burt Lancaster, though The Killers has been on my list for a while.
Gilda
Gilda. This one is worth watching for Rita Hayworth. Gilda is a sad, sad, rebellious woman. The movie ends and you don’t feel good about this couple at all. I love Steve Geray’s role as a sort of one-man Greek chorus. Also great photography here by Rudolph Maté, who directed the superior D.O.A.. Reminds me of another excellent film with a lost woman that revolves around casino life: La Baie des Anges. And another good film named after and about an object of irrational obsession is Laura. Glenn Ford was also awesome in 3:10 to Yuma. Filed under: film noir; movies I’ve seen.
Following
Following. Christopher Nolan’s first feature film set the trend for his later puzzle-piece, time-shifted narratives. Solid, modern noir. I like seeing early work like this without fancy production, pristine private sets, celebrity talent. My rankings of Nolan movies I’ve seen:
Yeah, after his last two I mostly lost interest in Nolan’s work. This one was good enough to get me curious about Insomnia and The Prestige, though. I’ve also done rankings for Hitchcock, Eastwood, Malick, Wes Anderson, and David Fincher, etc.
Brick
Brick. Hard-boiled film noir in modern high school suburbia. Everything was treated very carefully here, and it totally works for me. I could understand how ostensible 17- or 18-year-olds talking like Dashiell Hammett characters might not work for some, though. Some of which characters are clearly set to type (femme fatale, loyal informant, short-fused blockhead, sad-sack, etc.). Most of the movie has great, lively style but isn’t afraid to undercut itself every now and then. Solid score. I say it’s worth your time.
D.O.A.
D.O.A.. Oh, I quite like this one. This is not the drawing room intrigue of The Maltese Falcon; it’s more like the wholly despairing Blast of Silence. A man away from home, facing the void, asking “Why me?”. The Fisherman Jazz scene is great and there’s quite a few well-shot action scenes out and about in the city. It’s in the public domain and thus, you can watch it online. Filed under: film noir.
Drive
Drive. I liked it about as much as I liked the book, which is to say it’s a damn fine way to pass a couple hours. Excellent opening scene, then putters just slightly. Much slower, quieter than I expected but the supporting cast keeps it alive. It’s like a lot of film noir in that way – much of the movie’s momentum is from the hero cornered, reacting to other people’s plans. Interpretive tip: it’s not about driving cars. Good soundtrack. The movie wouldn’t be the same (wouldn’t be possible?) without it. Gosling’s role makes me think of Eastwood’s roles as the Man With No Name and William Munny, and Delon’s in Le Samouraï and a little bit of Clooney’s in The American.
Out of the Past
Out of the Past. My favorite movie of all time? Quite possibly. Probably. I loved it the first time I watched it and every time since. This is well-written, witty, funny, overwhelmingly tragic stuff. Man. So good.
Murder, My Sweet
I don’t know which side anybody’s on. I don’t even know who’s playing today.
Murder, My Sweet. Not excellent, not bad. Every new character brings a new complication to the story. Plenty of the snappy writing that you’d expect from Raymond Chandler. (Other film noir I’ve watched.)
A still from Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street. Part of a really awesome collection of stills in this series about trains in film. Linking to part 8 because it links to all the posts in the series at the bottom of the page.
Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly. Not recommended. But I have to say (spoiler coming), the final scene–where the lady opens the mystery box and accidentally self-immolates with nuclear material–was quite a shock, to say the least.
Chinatown
Chinatown. This is a great movie that absolutely lives up to its reputation. Well worth the time. I wish that I hadn’t been so worn out the first three times I tried to watch.
Force of Evil
Force of Evil. Very, very good. Everyone tries to justify their minor (and major) wrongdoings, but living in the gray areas rarely turns out well. Touches on ideas of business, family, loyalty, with some biblical overtones. “What do you mean ‘gangsters’? It’s business.”
Mark Larson 