The Big Heat (rewatch)

I still think this is a bit overrated.  There are definitely good moments, especially the ending and any scene with Gloria Grahame or Lee Marvin.  But Glenn Ford in the lead is pretty much a dud, Lang’s direction is terribly flat for the most part (a common problem in his Hollywood films) and the music is really quite bad.  It’s generally well-plotted, though, and even if it’s kinda predictable for a modern viewer, it manages to suck you in anyway.  I just wish it was done with some more flair.  Rating: 7

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The Sniper

Another damn good noir, about a violent misogynist who starts shooting women with a rifle.  Arthur Franz doesn’t take the Richard Widmark path of the manic psychopath gleefully capping people.  Instead he plays it rather complex — a tortured soul disturbed by his own actions and crying out for help.  It’s another San Francisco noir, one that doesn’t get too showy with the landmarks but Dmytryk still uses the locations well, and the chiaroscuro lighting is wonderful, too.  A lot of great actors in small roles here, including the always enjoyable Marie Windsor.  Where the film falters is its rather heavy-handed message that sex offenders need to be identified early and treated rather than shuffled through the revolving door of the system.  It’s not a bad message, but it’s delivered ham-fistedly with a text opening and a few speeches throughout, most egregiously a very soapbox-y lecture from the psychiatrist.  Otherwise, however, it’s a really stunning film with a lot of depth, tension, good score and provocative shots.  Rating: 8

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The Lineup

The premise is somewhat ludicrous: a drug ring that smuggles their heroin in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers, then hires a hitman to collect the goods.  The story is riddled with plot holes to boot.  And the first 20 minutes are a little slow as we follow the cops around (to help tie the film in to the TV series of the same name).  Despite all this… wow, what an amazing movie.  The hitman (enigmatically named “Dancer”) is played by none other than Eli Motherfucking Wallach, and he’s brilliant as the psychopathic professional.  But that’s only the beginning.  His sidekick Julian (Robert Keith) both mentors and worships Dancer in a relationship that’s clearly meant to be at least a little bit homosexual (“women have no place in society”).  He also collects the last words of Dancer’s victims.  Emile Meyer (so memorable in Sweet Smell of Success) and Marshall Reed are also terrific as the detectives, just classic cops.  The film makes fantastic use of its San Francisco locations… the Bay bridge, an aquarium, a maritime museum, and a superb car chase that inspired Bullitt.  Although it takes place entirely in the daytime and thus lacks the shadowy look usually associated with the genre, it’s balls-to-the-wall film noir through and through, full of dark themes, tough talk, biting dialogue, fascinating characters, and really, really entertaining murders.  An absolute blast with a hell of a climax.  Rating: 9

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5 Against the House

Fuck me, this weekend sucks.  Worked 10 hours today, and I’m gonna have to work tomorrow too.  So I’ll just be squeezing in a brief movie here and there when I can.  This one’s a lean 83 minutes, but even some of that could be trimmed.  A caper flick about a group of college guys who hatch a scheme to rob a casino.  The main problem is the ridiculous amount of pre-heist buildup.  We get way too much of these guys hanging around campus, and Guy Madison pitching woo at Kim Novak.  The meat of the movie is in the last half hour or so, but once you get there, it’s pretty good meat.  Again, it’s not really “true” noir, but it’s close enough, especially at the climax.  A large theme is veterans dealing with postwar psychiatric issues.  The earlier parts of the movie have a lot of comic dialogue, most of which is actually quite well-written.  However, the biggest wisecracker of the group, Alvy Moore, gets pretty annoying.  Director Phil Karlson also shoots the film very well (one of the few noirs in widescreen) with a number of very good shots.  You know that iconic shot from The Graduate, with Anne Bancroft’s leg looming large in the foreground and Dustin Hoffman tiny in the background?  That’s in here… 12 years earlier.  Practically the same framing, too.  A flawed but generally fun picture.  Rating: 7

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The Serpent’s Egg (rewatch)

Break from the noir for my weekly Bergman.  I still don’t think this is such a bad movie.  It’s got problems for sure.  The dialogue can be pretty flat, and so is David Carradine.  The cabaret scenes (which are decidedly Bob Fosse-esque) are mostly unnecessary, and lend an overall feeling of disjointedness throughout the film.  But it’s still pretty engaging, especially if you put aside your expectations of what a Bergman film should be.  It’s not his first film in English, or his first psychological thriller, or the first with political undertones.  But these aspects working together, along with the larger budget, make it feel like someone else’s work entirely.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with that.  It’s far, far from his best and will never be one of my favorites, but I generally don’t have any big problems with it and it’s a decent way to spend a couple hours.  Rating: 7

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Dangerous Crossing

A newlywed becomes entangled in a web of intrigue when her husband disappears from their honeymoon cruise.  It’s pretty much The Lady Vanishes on an ocean liner.  I don’t want to get TOO hung up on what’s a noir and what isn’t, but I’ll just say it doesn’t quite fit my perception of noir.  It is a fun little mystery/thriller, though.  It’s just a kick to watch, waiting to see what happens next, watching the heroine get more and more paranoid.  I don’t find Jeanne Crain very interesting (a bit too squeaky-clean Donna Reed-ish for me) but she handles the role well enough.  Likewise, Michael Rennie doesn’t do a whole lot for me as the sympathetic ship’s doctor, but he gets the job done.  That’s basically how I’d describe the movie as a whole: it gets the job done.  It didn’t knock my socks off, probably not gonna watch it again, but I did really enjoy it.  Rating: 8

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The Hidden Fortress (rewatch)

Haven’t watched this one in about nine years.  Influenced George Lucas R2D2 C3PO blah blah blah.  That’s not important.  What is important is that this is a ripping good adventure tale.  A trifle slow at the beginning, but once Toshiro Mifune shows up things start cooking, moving from one exciting or clever sequence to another with ease.  The dramatic elements are somewhat threadbare, but Kurosawa does straight action/adventure so friggin’ well that it doesn’t matter.  Mifune’s confident swagger is charming as ever, but I actually think Misa Uehara damn near steals the film with her nearly silent performance.  That devilish, amused fierceness is really something.  My main complaint with the film is that Tahei and Matakishi (you know… R2D2 and C3PO) are sometimes so stupid or despicable that it becomes difficult to be amused by their antics.  They always get their comeuppance, but there are moments where you’d like to see them get a severe beating.  Rating: 8

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He Walked By Night (rewatch)

The inspiration for “Dragnet” and pretty much a textbook definition of police procedural.  Far from a perfect noir, it leaves a lot to be desired, but also has a lot going for it.  The soundtrack is almost entirely devoid of music, which often makes it feel very flat.  Some scenes definitely could have used some punching up with score.  On the other hand, it makes the music that is there that much more effective.  The film lacks the moral ambiguity of the best noir, but nails the lighting perfectly.  Almost all the scenes of cops hanging around the station doing police work are dull (as are most of the cop actors), and there are a number of them.  But everything else is very good.  The highlight is obviously the pre-Third Man sewer chase, but there’s a lot of other good stuff, too.  Not sure yet if I want to keep this one, it’s going to be iffy if I start running out of room on the DVD rack.  Rating: 8

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Laura (rewatch)

I couldn’t resist the novelty of a Preminger/Andrews/Tierney double-header (although if I’d been thinking ahead, I would’ve watched this one first since it came earlier).  Laura is often cited as one of the most significant noirs, but I really see it as more of a melodrama/mystery.  At least, it’s not seedy in the way that I like my noirs.  It’s still an excellent movie, with one of the best second act twists ever.  Not really the kind of thing I’d watch a third time, though.  I much prefer Where the Sidewalk Ends, even though it’s far less known.  Rating: 8

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Where the Sidewalk Ends (rewatch)

Funny… when I watched this a few years ago, I complained about the ending not being “dark” enough.  I don’t know what I was thinking.  Yes, it could be darker, but as it is, it’s really the perfect ending.  This is absolutely terrific noir.  Crackerjack performance from Dana Andrews, a passable one from Gene Tierney (commentator Eddie Muller rightfully points out her limited range), and all the supporting players are a delight.  Otto Preminger keeps everything tight and tense, with a lot of great photography and music.  Lots of tough talk and snappy banter and heavy themes.  I dunno, maybe I’m too noir-happy at the moment to be critical and I’m overrating it, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.  Rating: 9

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