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Author Topic: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013  (Read 25721 times)

PeacefulAnarchy

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #40 on: November 02, 2013, 11:24:27 PM »

5. Framed (1947) 8.5/10
I expected a wrong man noir, which aren't my favourites, but got something much more interesting. Ford plays the stranger new into town and chosen for a patsy, but he's far from a helpless figure which allows for genuine tension throughout the film as he keeps threatening to elude the traps set for him. He's the core of the film and a great noir lead, but it wouldn't be what it is without Janis Carter as the femme fatale. Together they really click and give the film the dark tone it needs. The script is interesting too, not the greatest or most complex but it plays with that fine line between normal society and the underworld really well. Most noirs when they play with that contrast set them as opposing things or take a character from one end to the other, but here pretty much the entire film sits on that fault line and it's great.

Sandy

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #41 on: November 03, 2013, 12:13:41 AM »
Yeah compared to the Tom Ripley of "Talented" this fella has assimilated himself into European/ Parisian society. Buys his French wife a harpsichord which every European home has to have.  ;D

I gotta get me one of those! That was another thing that separated Hopper and Malkovich's roles. Hopper was almost a recluse in that mansion and Malkovich looked very much a part of society. Which follows the books closer?

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I still like how Wenders and Hopper interpret the character because at his core he is an unhinged psychopath, which is why it works as a noir, together with the fated position of Ganz's character. Also Ripley picks on him because he insults his taste. Beautiful.

Yes. That was the point I felt the most taken aback by that Ripley. Even a slight could send him after you.


I'm guessing at the end of the marathon The American Friend will still be my favourite. When I was a student at Uni we spent a week in Paris, a mixture of study and free time. One of the study visits was to La Défense. On the bus to La Défense the lecturer was saying that it was the main business centre of Paris and I'm thinking "No, no :o there's a few scenes from The American Friend filmed there". Nobody else had heard of The American Friend, so I felt a bit superior to everybody else. There's a scene where Hopper is peering around a corner, In my imagination I re-created the same scene, but to my right there was a MacDonald's, which kinda ruined the mystique for me :(.

That's too bad no one was with you who could share that--it's so fun to find places from movies.

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While at La Défense amongst all the high rise buildings. There's a lift you can catch which has a clear fibreglass base, which is a bit disconcerting as you see the ground disappear from you as you go up through the floor levels. It must be said when you get to the top floor and you look out over the city, it's one hellva of a view. I must go back there one day.

 :o That is not a good elevator for a woman!

Plein soleil is my favourite version because, of all the films, it is precisely that, a film first and not an adaptation. Delon's Ripley is nicely vacuous and there should be an identifiable hole in Tom, because he spends so much effort trying to hide his psychotic side from people. Plus it's Delon with his shirt off a lot. I would.

I'd be very interested in this too, so I could see a different take on the character, or if I'm honest it's that shirt thing. :))

1SO

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #42 on: November 03, 2013, 01:18:32 AM »


Ride the Pink Horse

I've known about this MartinTeller favorite ever since he got me into Noir a couple of years ago. I wasn't able to find a copy back in 2011, but I check every few months and this time my store had it. It's an unusual film, loosely plotted and unfocused compared to most Noir. Yet, that's what makes it such a fascinating watch. As it went on I became less and less interested in the blackmail/revenge story and happier getting into the lives of two very unusual and easy to like locals. What other Noir has you hooked with the likable characters?

The weak spot for me is Robert Montgomery the actor. His direction is fine, slightly off-beat and really good at capturing the alien feeling of a distant location. The performance reminded me of Dirk Bogarde. The tough dialogue doesn't sit well with the way he delivers it. He constantly looks and sounds like he's bluffing, yet his character is supposed to be quite the opposite. I just saw Bogie stepping in telling Montgomery to "lie down before you hurt yourself."
RATING: * * *

Jared

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #43 on: November 03, 2013, 11:58:25 AM »
Night Has a Thousand Eyes

Second occurrence in just three noirs this month of Edward G. Robinson starring in the adaptation of a Woolrich novel. In this one however, he plays the mystical one rather than the skeptic.

Robinson's character has visions of the future, and spends the movie dealing with his visions of people's deaths. Whether he warns people or keeps to himself, the problems seem inevitable. His visions have a shocking tendency of coming true, and all the rational minded characters are trying to figure out how this is possible. The conclusion everyone comes to is that he is a con-man and/or murderer.

Once again, Robinson is flat our terrific. Mild spoilers here, but I really liked this movie quite a bit better than Nightmare. The mystery is allowed to work as a sci-fi thriller more than a crime thriller with a complicated murder scheme. Sometimes in these film noirs the plot gets absurdly complex and the plans of the characters seem overcomplicated when explained. It was a refreshing change to see a film noir leave so much out there.

Best of the month for me so far.

1SO

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #44 on: November 03, 2013, 12:24:02 PM »
Agree, and it seems I finally found someone who likes Robinson as much as I do. Off the Noir subject, but have you seen him in the comedy Larceny Inc.? The story loses its way towards the end, but it's an excellent comic showcase for Eddie G.

Jared

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #45 on: November 03, 2013, 12:28:46 PM »
I haven't. As much as I love the actor I have a lot of work to do. I count 14 of his movies that Ive seen.

1SO

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #46 on: November 03, 2013, 01:11:33 PM »


Footsteps in the Dark

Though released the same year as The Maltese Falcon, this is not Noir. You can't just take any crime/detective/mystery and slap the Noir label onto it. There's no darkness in the script or in the lighting. The Femme Fatale is goofy and the lead is Errol Flynn whose Hollywood sparkle scrubs the film clean. The Thin Man is more Noir than this.

I watched this because there are not enough mystery comedies in the world, and some of the most memorable films are mystery comedy noir like All Through The Night and The Mad Miss Manton, which are two titles I advise all of you to consider. The script here is lackluster, relying more on funny situations than solid jokes. That being said, the situations are charming and amusing and a few of the jokes I found hilarious.

What isn't lackluster is the cast, and if you like character actors from this era it's a buffet of familiar faces: Alan Hale, Allen Jenkins, William Frawley, Ralph Bellamy, Grant Mitchell and Roscoe Karns among them. Lee Patrick plays the brassy blonde, and it was difficult seeing her as the queen of burlesque when I know her so well as the loyal secretary in The Maltese Falcon.

This is one of Flynn's best performances. An unlikely but natural fit for mystery comedy. His charm sets the tone and his comedic skills are given full display without tipping into goofy pratfalls. In the end, they set up an entire series of potential and I was more than ready for a sequel.
RATING: * * *
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 06:42:39 PM by 1SO »

PeacefulAnarchy

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #47 on: November 03, 2013, 01:29:36 PM »

6. Nora Prentiss (1947) 7.5/10
It takes a truly great noir to be able to go over 100 minutes, otherwise it makes me restless, and while this had potential it wasn't great. It's of the "good man gets corrupted" variety, and all the elements to be great are there. A strong performance by Kent Smith, who really sells the slow transformation, and an equally great showing by Ann Sheridan, who one could completely believe as being the cause of this not just because of her beauty but what we see of her personality, give us a lead romance we really want to root for. The cinematography is quite nice and the story is appropriately bleak and compelling. I like that the downfall isn't as overdone as in other films, it's mostly believable and even the point of no return isn't unforgivable. But that subtlety is undone by the final act where the film just closes off redemption because I guess the allusion of adultery must merit death? I mean, I know it's the Hayes code, but most films, if they're not pushing for subversion, have the decency to either make that kind of thing exciting or make it quick, not drag it on for 40 minutes of "he's gonna get caught, just you wait." I still enjoyed it, but it felt like this could have been great and that second half disappointed me.

PeacefulAnarchy

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #48 on: November 03, 2013, 06:18:38 PM »

7. Road House (1948) 8.5/10
This one's a slow boil, but it really works. I think this is the best cinematography of the month so far, Beyond the Forest is close, though, and the four main actors are all excellent. The writing's got some real spark, or maybe it's Lupino and Widmark who really know how to deliver it. Either way it gives the film the energy to power through the slow build up. Other than the pacing the story's really good, a hint of fatalism and a hint of uncertainty along with a couple of twists make it very compelling. That ending is really great too.

MartinTeller

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Re: Noir-vember Group Marathon 2013
« Reply #49 on: November 03, 2013, 06:33:51 PM »
I had hoped to comment more on this thread, but I've been occupied with other things.  Hopefully I can catch up later.  Reviews for most of the movies mentioned so far are on my blog.