Tension
Posted by martinteller on April 29, 2010
Very uneven. For a movie called “Tension”, there isn’t very much of it, and the overall tone is oddly low-key. Richard Basehart’s motivations are also strange, and it takes him way too long to figure out what a bad idea his scheme is… not to mention how poorly thought out it is, with his Clark Kent-style disguise. The whole thing feels clumsy and misguided, and yet it has a compelling forward motion to it. Femmes fatale are not as common in noir as one might think, but when there is one, she’s usually the best part of the movie. Audrey Trotter does not disappoint, dominating every scene she’s in, and her character is delightfully rotten. Also worth noting is Barry Sullivan as a cop who’s unscrupulous in a way you don’t see very often. The ambiguity to his character adds a little spice. I definitely didn’t LOVE this movie, but I got a few kicks from it. Rating: 7
