Reviews

I'm a big fan of Film Noir and have seen all of the classics as well as a number of lesser known and obscure films of the genre. This one was new to me and I was fascinated by it. There is a lot of hackneyed dialogue, but the cast manages not to make it sound silly. But it's the plot that was so absorbing for me; this is not a formula film by any means. There are terrific twists & turns and even though there were several points during the film where I knew what was coming next, that didn't spoil the enjoyment of watching it all unfold. Eddie is his classic dyspeptic self, playing against type as a henpecked hubby of an annoyingly shrewish wife. Dan Duryea is classic Dan Duryea here; the oily, scheming (and often drunken) villain you just can't take your eyes off.

This film is a perfect example of style over substance. The cinematography relies on being able to re-create the look of Vermeer's paintings at every possible opportunity. Early on, it's a beautiful and dramatic touch, but as the film progresses, it becomes nothing more than a redundant visual trick. Additionally, there is one ensemble scene photographed to resemble a Rembrandt painting, and the character of the Patron is an homage to Franz Hals' "The Laughing Cavalier", complete with scraggly beard & moustache. Yes, these are great examples of the cinematic craft, but after a while, they intrude rather than enhance. The story itself is essentially that of Cinderella or Snow White, complete with characters that roughly approximate the peasant girl transformed into the great beauty, the evil step-mother, the jealous step-sister & Prince Charming. There's not a great story here. The film seems pompous and self-important; always aware of its own visual beauty. But long, lingering close-ups ("lick your lips") do not necessarily mean great art. Having said all that, I also have to say that the film did keep me involved (I only looked at my watch once), but in the end, I felt as though I had eaten junk food out of a very pretty wrapper.

The good news is that Bruce Dern just can't turn in a bad performance. Along with Dabney Coleman, he's a guy we just love to hate. He takes a despicable character and forces us to watch him, despite the instinct to turn away. The other good news about this movie is that it cured Gordon Lightfoot of the acting bug and we can safely assume after 20 years that this supremely talented singer and songwriter will never try to act again. His embarrassing performance rivals that of Glen Campbell's in True Grit; wooden, stilted and just painful to watch!

It's Fred MacMurray again, as a virtuous agent for the causes of good. Instead of playing an insurance salesman with an eye for the fast buck, here he's playing a cop assigned to shadow Novak, the mobster's moll. Kim Novak is as beautiful as she's ever appeared on the screen. The lighting in her early scenes is as dramatic and sensual as it can be. Who wouldn't fall in love with her? Comparisons with Double Indemnity just can't be ignored. She is the vamp that Barbara Stanwyck could never be. She's softer and more feminine in that 50's style, and less hard-edged than Stanwyck, which makes her much more dangerous. Novak's generally wooden acting style & "flat affect" gives way to a softer sex-kitten demeanor. MacMurray's character is a more active participant in the events that unfold than in "DD", where he seemed to get his courage and strength from Stanwyck's cold & calculating personna. Billy Wilder could have made this a masterpiece, but even without the guidance of the master's hand, this one is definitely well-worth watching.