Nobody Lives Forever
Posted by martinteller on April 9, 2011
Out of the recent batch of noirs I’ve been going through, this is the first to feel like pure noir. Chiselers and con men, greed and desperation, seedy backrooms, foggy piers and a nasty little femme fatale. You’ve got some pretty good casting here… John Garfield in the lead, Geraldine Fitzgerald as the good girl, Faye Emerson as the bad girl, a pre-annoying Walter Brennan, and George Coulouris as the slimy antagonist. The plot isn’t all that original or surprising, but it’s a solid tale. With one exception: Garfield’s epiphany at Capistrano is just a little too pat. I was already on board with his redemption, he didn’t need that extra little push from religion. There’s also some tonal issues where Negulesco tries and fails to lighten things up with a few misplaced gags and a far too jaunty score. Nonetheless, not a bad way to get your noir fix, and it’s got a stellar climax. Rating: 7
