Reviews

This is a well-crafted "love triangle" movie in the visual style of film noir, but without the plot development typical of film noir. No murders, gangsters, or cops. The cinematography is excellent and Preminger shows his mastery as a director, eliciting stellar performances from Joan Crawford, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda.

Crawford in particular shows her star quality with superbly nuanced articulation and facial expressions. Her opening lines are amazing to listen to, her voice quavering nervously to show that she is under tremendous emotional pressure.

Dana Andrews gives probably the best performance of his career as the cheating husband who really wants to make things work, but is torn between his neurotic wife, his adorable kids, and his mistress.

Henry Fonda gives a brilliantly understated characterization of an eccentric war-torn hero hiding behind a veneer of gentleness and innocence, who cleverly but compassionately manipulates the situation in order to bring about a satisfactory resolution.

There a few plot twists and a happy ending. Highly recommended.

This movie is an effective remake of Fatal Attraction with competent direction, superior cinematography, and good performances by the entire cast.

Uber-hunk Idris Elba is convincing as a successful asset manager who becomes the target of a predatory psychopathic temp worker, well-played by the lovely Ali Larter. Songstress Beyonce Knowles demonstrates her acting chops as Idris's devoted wife, who gets a unpleasant surprise when she realizes her man has become entangled with another woman.

The plot generally follows Fatal Attraction, culminating in a glorious "cat-fight-to-the-death" scene with Beyonce and Ali viciously clawing at each others throats. There are some cool plot twists like when Ali spikes Idris's drink with a date-rape drug (yes, there really are predatory bitches who do that!). Although the movie has some minor flaws, the strong performances by the main characters are well worth watching. The cinematography is excellent with spectacular shots of downtown Los Angeles. The direction is well-paced and builds up tension reminiscent of a Hitchcock thriller.

Frankly, I'm surprised the movie hasn't gotten better reviews. Perhaps disappointed viewers were expecting a shoot-em-up action flick, or perhaps talented African-Americans in leading roles with a White woman villain are not yet acceptable to mainstream America. Whatever the reason, by all objective standards this is a well-crafted movie and I recommend it.

Stylistically, this is one the best films noir ever made. Beautiful classic noir cinematography from beginning to end. Taut direction and great performances from the entire cast make this a true classic.

In one of his best roles, Van Heflin convincingly portrays a WW2 veteran who has rebuilt his life as a civic leader in small town America. Janet Leigh is perfect as his naive, adoring wife, and together they are living the American dream when suddenly his past comes back to haunt him in the form of menacing, gun-toting Robert Ryan.

As the film unfolds, we learn about Van Heflin's tragic secret and the inner demons that torment his soul. Relentlessly pursued by Ryan, who is on a mission of vengeance, Van Heflin finds solace in the company of Mary Astor, who delivers an effective performance as an aging prostitute with useful connections. The tension builds relentlessly until Van Heflin finds redemption in a Western-style shootout beside the town's railroad tracks.

This beautifully crafted film epitomizes the noir style and is not to be missed.

This interesting and surprisingly effective 1941 movie was one of the first films noir. Partly directed by Fritz Lang -- who quit after a few weeks due to a conflict with Jean Gabin, who was romancing Lang's ex-girlfriend Marlene Dietrich -- and featuring an international cast with creative input by Salvador Dali (!), the movie is a seminal work that helped establish some of the stylistic elements of classic film noir.

The lovely 28 year-old British actress Ida Lupino delivers a convincing performance as a suicidal teenage runaway, aimlessly passing through a Californian fishing village on her journey to nowhere.

French actor Jean Gabin exudes charm and star quality as a womanizing drifter with an insane capacity for hard liquor, who gets into drunken fights that he doesn't remember.

Claude Rains and Thomas Mitchell round out the main characters with solid performances as Gabin's drinking buddies -- Rains as a failed British intellectual and Mitchell as a scheming Irish villain who is blackmailing Gabin.

Dali's contribution to the movie is a startling scene where the drunken Gabin is conversing with a pretty prostitute whose head suddenly vanishes into thin air -- transforming her into a talking torso with surrealist images of spinning clocks.

The direction is generally good. The cinematography is classic noir, especially the final scenes, which deliver an abundance of dark, haunting images as Gabin menacingly pursues Mitchell along the pier to his death. The Fox Film Noir DVD consists of a flawless high-quality print plus special features.

The lovely Ida Lupino and curiously handsome Richard Widmark deliver brilliant performances in this classic film noir about a love triangle in a small town bowling alley.

Widmark is cast as the owner of the bowling alley who hires Lupino to sing in the bar. We learn that this is his way of meeting new women so his best friend, convincingly portrayed by Cornell Wilde, tries to dump Lupino at the railway station before she causes any trouble. Of course, she refuses to leave and ends up in a love triangle with Widmark and Wilde.

Lupino exudes star quality in a truly amazing performance as a sultry, world-weary night club singer in search of redemption. Her mannerisms, vocalizations, and facial expressions are superbly nuanced and define her as one the best actresses of her generation, comparable to Bette Davis.

Widmark gives a mesmerizing performance as a repressed psychopath who naively deludes himself into believing Lupino will marry him, then goes off the deep end when he discovers she is in love with his best friend. In the final scenes, he explodes in a virtuoso display of controlled insanity that characterized his early career as an actor.

The direction and cinematography are excellent with beautifully composed shots and lingering close-ups of the stars. There is some sharp dialog and the rest of the cast deliver convincing performances, making this an outstanding film noir. Highly recommended.

This minor film noir has competent direction, good cinematography, solid production values, and an imaginative story line that makes it rise above the typical crime drama of that era.

Jimmy Lyndon is excellent as a gawky college student haunted by a bizarre precognitive dream of his family and dead father, who was a judge murdered under mysterious circumstances.

Sally Eilers delivers a nuanced performance as his mother, who has fallen under the spell of a suave conniving gigolo, perfectly played by Warren William with his rich, deep, mellifluous voice and sophisticated mannerisms.

The plot twists and turns when Lyndon is sent to a mental hospital to be treated for neurosis and hallucinations under the care of a villainous psychiatrist (Charles Arnt). During his confinement, Lyndon uncovers evidence that William is a serial killer in cahoots with the psychiatrist and is preparing to strike again...

Although the entire cast delivers good performances, Lyndon and William are outstanding and well worth the price of admission.

Although not classic film noir, this is an entertaining little B movie filmed in Tokyo during the Korean war. Robert Peyton ("B" version of Fred McMurray) delivers a generally adequate performance as an undercover army intelligence officer investigating a Japanese spy ring that is sabotaging US operations in Korea.

More interesting is the alluring Florence Marly ("B" version of Marlene Dietrich). The Czechoslovakian-born Marly is portrayed as an Eurasian femme fatale who speaks English with a cute Japanese accent. Of course, she is completely untrustworthy and leads Frederick into the sordid Japanese underworld on a mission to locate a college friend who has been tricked into working for the communists.

The plot twists and turns with some interesting noirish street scenes and good performances by Japanese actors. Not a great movie but worth watching for Marly's intriguing performance and the surprise ending.

Ida Lupino sparkles as the director and star of this deeply moving romantic drama. The subject of bigamy is unusual for a Hollywood movie of that era and is handled in an intelligent, compassionate way.

Edmond O'Brien convincingly portrays a traveling salesman in love with two women -- his cute, barren, career-minded pre-feminist wife (Joan Fontaine) and a lonely, stunningly beautiful waitress (Lupino) -- neither of whom know of the other's existence.

The direction is excellent and elicits beautifully nuanced performances from the entire cast. O'Brien is portrayed as a decent human being who becomes entangled in a romantic triangle and tries to find a viable solution for everyone. Unfortunately, his well-intentioned plan to be a loving husband to both women comes unstuck when a nit-picking adoption investigator (Edmund Gwenn) probes too deeply.

Although not classic film noir, there is some sharp, insightful dialog. For example, the courtroom scene effectively challenges traditional American values when the judge sympathetically remarks: "If you had simply taken her as your mistress instead of marrying her, you would not be here now."

This is a well-crafted and provocative movie that showcases Lupino's considerable talent as an actress, director, and student of human nature. Ida Lupino was an extraordinary woman, years ahead of her time. Enjoy.

The tension in this brilliant low-budget crime drama is so palpable you can almost cut it with a knife. The plot, sets, direction, cinematography, and editing are exemplary film noir complete with doomed hero, femme fatale, unpleasant villains, sharp dialog, and an edgy music track of big band jazz. Unfortunately, there are some casting flaws that prevent the movie from achieving its full potential as a major classic.

Director and lead actor Allen Baron portrays a cynical assassin on a mission to eradicate a Mafia lieutenant. Although he plays the role well, he is not entirely convincing as a bitter man consumed by hate -- as the stentorian voice-over repeatedly tells us.

Another casting flaw is Larry Tucker, who plays an obese rat-loving hoodlum who supplies Baron with the murder weapon. Although Tucker's bizarre character is truly fascinating, he is not slimy enough to fit the part and comes across as a jolly fellow who could easily get a job as a department store Santa.

Nevertheless, this is a terrific movie. The rest of the cast deliver good performances and make this a gritty, visceral, minor classic with a grim, chilling conclusion.

This curious psychological mystery movie is definitely NOT film noir. In fact, there is nothing noir about it. The sets, cinematography, editing, and direction are quite ordinary and lack the dynamic tension characteristic of film noir.

Robert Young is convincing as a jinxed architect who experiences a string of what seem to be accidents and bad luck. Eventually, he realizes that somebody is trying to ruin his life by framing him as a dangerous psychotic.

Betsy Drake is miscast as a goody-two-shoes character who falls in love with Young and helps to extricate him from the frame. Unfortunately, she has even less sex appeal than Mary Poppins and there is no chemistry between them. As a result, their romantic scenes are totally unconvincing.

The rest of the cast deliver generally competent performances. The storyline reflects the public interest in psychotherapy in the 1950s but there are several scenes such as Young's fake suicide attempt and the denouement that are simply unbelievable. Not a great movie but worth watching for Young's performance.

For lovers of jazz and racial harmony, this groovy British movie has it all. Some of the best jazz musicians of the era. Blacks and whites getting along just fine. And a fascinating performance by Patrick McGoohan -- who plays a scheming drummer hell-bent on splitting up an inter-racial marriage in order to form his own band.

The movie is set in the docklands area of London with a plot loosely based on Shakespeare's "Othello". The acting and direction are generally good with noirish cinematography. But the main attraction is the jazz -- with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, and Charlie Mingus happily jamming throughout the movie.

Paul Harris delivers an impressive performance as an African-American band leader with a stage presence similar to Morgan Freeman. The rest of the cast are natural and convincing, especially the lovely Maria Velasco, who is in another inter-racial relationship. But the movie belongs to McGoohan, whose deeply flawed character, insanely brilliant drumming (not dubbed!), and maniacal scheming are a wonder to behold.

This minor classic is available as a high-quality German all-region DVD (Die Heisse Nacht) with an English sound track.

What an incredible movie! There have been many brilliant directors -- Coppola, Huston, Pekinpah, Spielberg, to mention but a few -- but there is only one Orson Welles. In Othello, the Great Master towers above all others in an impressive tour-de-force.

This sparkling production combines the greatest genius of literature and the greatest genius of film. The result... Shakespearean film noir. Amazing cinematography and editing that will take your breath away. One brilliantly composed shot after another. Tremendous acting and direction. Atmospheric drama so visceral and intense it creates the "Wow!" effect.

Welles' artistry is pure genius and reminiscent of Michelangelo. A truly great masterpiece.

What a great little film noir! The plot, casting, acting, direction and cinematography are excellent, making this relatively unknown noir a minor classic.

The ingenious plot to resurrect an executed criminal from the gas chamber falls into the realm of sci-fi but is actually based on good science. Methylene Blue was used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning during the 1940s, but must be administered to a living person, not a corpse. Nevertheless, the resurrection drama gives the plot a lurid Frankensteinian twist that adds to its appeal, especially when the resurrected criminal is killed a second time in the same day!

Jean Gillie delivers a sensational performance as the ultimate femme fatale -- a gorgeous, sophisticated fashionista -- who is also a brutally manipulative and murderous villain who stops at nothing to satisfy her materialistic ambitions and get her greedy little hands on $400,000 from a bank heist.

Herbert Rudley is effective as the prison doctor caught in a moral dilemma between professional ethics and his infatuation with Gillie. The other main characters -- Edward Norris as a cynical gangster and Sheldon Leonard as a slimy cop -- give convincing performances and balance the ensemble.

There is some sharp dialog and a surprise ending. This is a terrific film noir loaded with goodies and not to be missed.

This is an impressive war movie that scores big in every way. The direction, acting, cinematography and editing are superb, with an abundance of beautifully composed classic noir scenes full of menace and intrigue reminiscent of the Third Man.

Steven Soderbergh continues to demonstrate why he is one the greatest directors of our era, eliciting terrific performances from the entire cast. But the cinematography is what makes this movie stand out as a new classic, with highly effective dramatic lighting and stylistic close-ups of the stars.

George Clooney delivers a convincing performance as a decent but naive American officer in postwar Berlin who finds himself trapped in a deadly web of lies, deception and betrayal.

Cate Blanchett exudes star quality as the femme fatale in one of the best performances of her career, fully inhabiting the role of a Jewish prostitute with a dark past and dire secrets. Terrific acting reminiscent of the great Marlene Dietrich, with a pitch perfect German accent and the ice cold persona of someone who has been traumatized by the unspeakable horrors of war.

The dialog is sharp and the musical score is edgy. This movie is an outstanding tribute to the genre and worth adding to your collection.

This is an impressive movie that scores big in every way. The direction, cinematography and acting are superb, making this sprawling epic a true Hollywood classic.

The all-star cast makes the most of complex, well-defined characters and sharp, witty dialog. The sets are lavish, colorful, and decadent. The cinematography delivers gorgeous eye-candy with an abundance of vivid, beautifully composed shots. Edward Dmytryk's direction is exemplary and the storyline of power, corruption, and redemption is an engrossing saga with some nice plot twists and a happy ending.

George Peppard gives a scintillating performance as a ruthless tycoon (inspired by Howard Hughes), fully inhabiting the role and expertly navigating the complex motivations of a powerful young man relentlessly driven by his inner demons. The rest of the cast weaves a rich tapestry of supporting relationships with convincing performances all round.

This is a terrific movie reminiscent of Citizen Kane and not to be missed.

This effective noirish crime drama was Yul Brynner's film debut in which he demonstrates star quality as a debonair, brutal crime boss engaged in drug trafficking. Brynner was born in Vladivostok and his oriental features and full head of wavy hair (!) are perfectly suited to this role. In particular, his facial expressions and body language when he gets busted are superbly acted and well worth watching.

Scott Brady and Richard Rober deliver generally good performances as federal agents whose goal is to track down a shipment of narcotics. Although they are portrayed as heroes, neither has star quality and their acting is occasionally hammy. The rest of the cast plays a convincing ensemble of feds, thugs, dealers, and dames.

The direction and cinematography are excellent with some beautifully composed classic noir scenes where Brady and Rober explore a dark warehouse. The plot is predictable without major twists or sharp dialog, although the stentorian narrator gives the movie an interesting fascist undertone as war-on-drugs propaganda.

The print (Classic Film Noir, Volume 2) is quite good although the sound track is scratchy. Despite its flaws, this is a well-crafted fast-paced minor film noir worth adding to your collection.

When I first saw this movie in 1965, I was a naive, impressionable student and thought it was daring, profound, and totally cool. Now I'm grown up and after seeing it for the second time in 2008, I realize how dumb and easily fooled by "sophisticated art critics" I was back then. Without a shadow of a doubt, this movie is:

Pretentious......

Pseudo-Philosophical......

Psycho-Babble......

Although Eddie Constantine delivers a reasonably good performance, the production values (sets, direction, cinematography, and editing) are so amateurish they are reminiscent of the notorious Ed Wood movie Plan 9 From Outer Space. It's really that bad! The simple truth is that despite his reputation as an avante garde film maker, Jean Luc Godard has no real talent and wouldn't last 5 minutes in Hollywood.

Anna Karina is cute but can't act. Neither can the rest of the supporting cast. Even the great character actor Akim Tamiroff is totally wasted. The plot is unbelievable, the dialog is corny, and the music is grating. After watching the DVD, I tossed it in the garbage can. Don't waste your time on this miserable clunker, which is basically a student film masquerading as art.

This is an effective noirish suspense drama. The acting, direction, and cinematography are typical of 1950s low-budget productions but there are plenty of good scenes. After a slow start, the plot evolves into a modern morality tale where a scheming villain gets his payback. The print is inferior (Classic Film Noir, Volume 2) but the soundtrack is satisfactory.

John Bromfield delivers a convincing performance as an unscrupulous gold-digging gigolo who seduces and marries a wealthy widow (Martha Vickers) who is seriously ill with only a few months to live. Much to his dismay, the marriage works wonders for her health and she improves so much that he is forced to hatch a diabolically clever plan to murder her.

Of course, things quickly go wrong and lead to a terrific plot twist and surprise ending. Not classic noir, but a decent little movie with redeeming features.

A tense noirish crime drama with fine acting and a nicely twisted plot. The movie features a flawed hero, convincingly played by John Payne, who delivers a superbly nuanced performance as an ex-convict war hero who is framed in a diabolically clever bank heist.

The brains behind the caper is a bitter ex-cop, consummately played by Preston Foster, who recruits some of the meanest, nastiest, and ugliest villains of the genre. Lee Van Cleef, in one of his first film roles, is perfect as a slimy womanizing punk. Jack Elam delivers a great performance as a dissolute chain-smoking gambler, and Neville Brand is in top form as a surly menacing thug.

Although the movie lacks a femme fatale, Colleen Gray adds a nice touch but is not convincing as an aspiring lawyer. Nevertheless, the convoluted plot is well written and builds up to a satisfying denouement. Not classic noir but an absorbing, well-crafted movie worth adding to your collection.

Great cinematography. Excellent acting. Taut direction. But the plot is bizarre. Everything rolls along nicely until suddenly -- without any warning -- the plot morphs into something else. Same characters and location but completely different storyline. Weird and confusing as people who were killed in the previous section show up alive again...

Nevertheless, the movie contains some terrific villains. Steve Cochran delivers a mesmerizing performance as a sadistic mobster and Peter Lorre is in top form as his cold-blooded, sinister sidekick. Michele Morgan is an edgy femme fatale and Bob Cummings delivers a convincing performance as the troubled hero.

The cinematography is classic noir with beautifully composed shots in dark settings full of intrigue and menace. A particularly memorable scene is where the cops burst into a room in search of Cummings only to find a woman sobbing uncontrollably at a table. There is some sharp dialog and lush romantic music although the sound track is scratchy. The movie is flawed by the fractured plot but worth adding to your collection.

WOW !!! If you want to see brilliant, exemplary film noir cinematography, this seminal movie has it all. Powerful, beautifully composed shots, a masterpiece similar in style to the Third Man, which was filmed a year later.

This is a breakthrough film embodying all the elements of the noir visual style and the modern police drama. Stark black and white for maximum dramatic impact. A cold, calculating villain. Tense action sequences from beginning to end.

However, this is NOT classic noir. There is no femme fatale, no flawed hero, no moral ambiguity, no sharp dialog. Nevertheless, this is a truly great film that inspired an entire genre, including the X-files. A classic, not to be missed.

This movie doesn't quite make it into the ranks of noir. Although it's interesting to watch George Raft and Ava Gardener, there isn't any chemistry between them and their relationship is not believable.

Nevertheless, Gardner is amazing eye candy, a screen goddess, and steals every scene she is in. Frankly, she is so gorgeous that she is completely miscast in this little melodrama about small town hicks.

The story takes place in the post-depression era and contains a few nice plot twists. Victor McLaglen delivers a terrific performance as Raft's drinking buddy and partner in crime, but the rest of the cast don't do much for the movie except provide forgettable characters.

The direction and cinematography are okay but the biggest problem is the casting. None of the main characters except McLaglen fit their roles. The DVD (Classic Film Noir, Volume 2) is worth watching for Gardner and McLaglen, who sparkle in a movie that is otherwise quite ordinary.

This is an effective minor film noir with some good acting and sharp dialog. Although the quality of the print (Classic Film Noir, Volume 2) and sound track is inferior, the cinematography is good with plenty of well-composed shots. The movie is flawed by clumsy direction and uneven editing but there are many scenes where everything comes together nicely and flows smoothly.

Franchot Tone's suave performance as a special prosecutor is convincing and is supported by a good cast. The rambling convoluted plot about his investigation of a commercial Neo-Nazi "hate-group" business is important social commentary that elevates the movie above the typical crime dramas of that era.

Not a great movie but one with redeeming features.

Everything about this movie is good, especially the cinematography, which is visually stunning with great camera angles and beautifully composed shots reminiscent of Citizen Kane. This is one of the best noirs ever made, fast paced with strong direction and tight editing. Of special mention are the helicopter shots of New York, which create the feeling that the city is a board game or crossword puzzle.

Granger delivers an excellent performance -- perhaps the best of his movie career -- as a delivery boy who falls victim to temptation and foolishly steals $30K from a couple of nasty villains. Of course, he is in over his head and the plot twists and turns as he desperately tries to extricate himself.

The rest of the cast also deliver good performances, making this a tense, stylish crime drama. The only criticism is that the dialog lacks sharp, memorable lines although the omniscient stentorian narrator in the opening scene gives the movie an interesting fascist undertone. Nevertheless, the movie is classic noir and not to be missed.

This terrific comedy showcases the talents of two of Britain's best actors, the late Michael Elphick and Ian Richardson, who are portrayed as Nazi soldiers in the SS assigned to topple the British economy by counterfeiting the currency. (This is a true story that actually happened in WW2).

Michael Elphick is superb as a cowardly conniving small-time crook who will do anything to avoid fighting. Ian Richardson is also in top form as his incompetent commanding officer. Together, they recruit a gang of Jewish criminals from concentration camps and set about their merry work.

This is one of the best comedies ever made with great performances from the entire cast. Regrettably, the DVD (produced by the BBC) is not available in the USA, presumably to appease American Jewish groups who would consider a concentration camp an inappropriate venue for a comedy.

BTW, the story was recently made into a highly recommended dramatic German-language film (The Counterfeiters, 2007).