It starts as a police procedural, initially very voiceover-heavy with a dull drone of a voiceover lauding the FBI. Later though, its plot(s) become more convoluted and intertwined with noir undertones, plus moments of real tension and creepiness, occasional action, very sporadic wry humour, and tinged here and there with a mix of sentimentality and hard-nosed realism, all while putting on display the full gamut of society. The plot hinges on the link between one FBI agent and three different cases - which leads to a forest of suspects (and red herrings) for multiple crimes, with the added element of there possibly being something, or someone, connected tenuously to all three case files. Perhaps.
While a typical police procedural in many ways, one thing that is different here is that there are a surprising number of women-centric perspectives coming from the victims' sides of the equation, a deliberate commentary on the dangers that women more than most could be subject to. Still, true to form, here we have a quasi-femme fatale, there a mindless thug, here a weary but dutiful cop, and there occasional voiceovers about how the FBI puts every man on the bureau on these cases, along with documentary style shots illustrating the machination of investigations using fascinating 1950's tech.
The touches of noir come from the dread that some of the crimes evoke, the sense of mystery as to how all these grim crimes are connected (or not) with a feeling of dark forces at play, the desperation of some of the characters, their deceptions and their desperate moves to drag themselves out of their plight, as well as a few wonderful shots, and a memorable angst-ridden ending.
This is the kind of noir one hopes to come across now and again - pretty mundane but also with lots to savour. The crimes are petty, seedy and even grisly at times - and the revolving rogues' gallery of suspects holds one's attention throughout. Well-shot outdoor locations around LA bring another dimension to the movie as well.
It even seems to make a commentary about Hollywood itself: the FBI spins narratives to capture the pursued just as a Hollywood film does to captivate a film-goer. But behind the facade, the reality is in a sorrier state. This streak of cynicism and meta gives this film a bit of extra edge.
While a typical police procedural in many ways, one thing that is different here is that there are a surprising number of women-centric perspectives coming from the victims' sides of the equation, a deliberate commentary on the dangers that women more than most could be subject to. Still, true to form, here we have a quasi-femme fatale, there a mindless thug, here a weary but dutiful cop, and there occasional voiceovers about how the FBI puts every man on the bureau on these cases, along with documentary style shots illustrating the machination of investigations using fascinating 1950's tech.
The touches of noir come from the dread that some of the crimes evoke, the sense of mystery as to how all these grim crimes are connected (or not) with a feeling of dark forces at play, the desperation of some of the characters, their deceptions and their desperate moves to drag themselves out of their plight, as well as a few wonderful shots, and a memorable angst-ridden ending.
This is the kind of noir one hopes to come across now and again - pretty mundane but also with lots to savour. The crimes are petty, seedy and even grisly at times - and the revolving rogues' gallery of suspects holds one's attention throughout. Well-shot outdoor locations around LA bring another dimension to the movie as well.
It even seems to make a commentary about Hollywood itself: the FBI spins narratives to capture the pursued just as a Hollywood film does to captivate a film-goer. But behind the facade, the reality is in a sorrier state. This streak of cynicism and meta gives this film a bit of extra edge.