The Bloody Olive (1997)

Film noir, French for "black film", describes a very particular kind of crime dramas that originated in the early 40s and had very distinctive traits. For starters, thematically they had connections to the hardboiled school of crime fiction that began during the depression, this results in stories with greater cynicism and a taste for morbid themes. However, perhaps the most distinctive trait of the film noir was the low-key lighting in its cinematography, which played with hard shadows in the style of German Expressionism. This stylish cinematography, result of having low budgets to work with, became a staple of Films Noir, and while the classic period of the genre ended in the 50s, its visual style has inspired countless homages and tributes ever since. It certainly inspired a young filmmaker from Belgium, Vincent Bal, whom used a distinctive film noir visual style to make a comedy short film shortly after finishing film school. The title? "The Bloody Olive".

With a runtime of barely 11 minutes, "The Bloody Olive" begins with a married couple, Werner and Mylène (Frank Focketijn and Veerle van Overloop respectively) preparing themselves for Christmas. The couple finishes the Christmas tree and is seen getting ready for the dinner, when suddenly, the doorbell rings. The visitor is Sam (Gene Bervoets), Werner's business partner and a good friend of the couple, whom arrives with a bottle of wine for them. However, Sam doesn't look like he's having fun, and accuses Werner of being stealing from the company. Sam claims he has proof, so Werner reacts by shooting his partner in front of a shocked Mylène. Werner explains that there wasn't really another way to do it, and that Sam's death can easily be explained as self-defense. But things aren't always easy, specially in films noir, and to everyone's surprise, Sam gets up not being really dead yet. This is only the beginning of a series of betrayals that prove that in film noir, nothing is what it seems.

"The Bloody Olive" has its origins in the 1994 graphic novel "Imbroglio", by French cartoonist Lewis Trondheim; however, director Vincent Bal takes the plot and fully adapts it to better blend into the film noir style he attempts (the novel, while also a jab at noir, has less emphasis in this, and in classic Trondheim fashion, the characters are anthropomorphic animals): and all without losing the black humor of the comic book. Certainly, it could be argued that "The Bloody Olive" is a one-joke short film (perhaps the bane of ), and that would be right in a way. Fortunately, director Vincent Bal elaborates on the joke with great skill, and in fact achieves a smooth transition from straight crime drama towards the absurd black comedy that "The Bloody Olive" truly is. The story unfolds at a nice pace, which begins slow in classic melodrama fashion and then gets increasingly faster as secrets are unveiled. Nevertheless, the true highlight of "The Bloody Olive" is its craftsmanship.

And this because its actually in the way that Vincent Bal and his team replicate the film noir style where the magic of "The Bloody Olive" is. As written above, the film is faithful to its source, however, Bal's decision of replicating the film noir aesthetics is more than appropriate as it transforms what originally was a fun yet simple parody ("Imbroglio") into a heartfelt tribute to the noir genre. And instrumental for this is the work of both cinematographer Philippe Van Volsem and Art Director Gert Stas, who make a remarkable achievement in bringing to life the somber vision of director Vincent Bal. From the low-key lighting to the somber atmosphere, "The Bloody Olive" is just perfect in its representation of film noir style; and actually this faithfulness ultimately serves for comic effect, as the contrast between the absurd of its story with the careful replication of the noir style results in a tongue-in-cheek homage to the most morbid excesses of film noir.

The acting in "The Bloody Olive" is particularly good, with each cast member doing their best to replicate the melodramatic tone and fast delivery of the 1940s acting. Actress Veerle van Overloop (of 1995's Dutch film "Antonia") plays Mylène, Werner's loving wife whom results to be more dangerous than any weapon. Van Overloop shines in her role, moving nicely between the two extreme female icons of film noir: the loving wife and the femme fatal. With her natural charm and her strong screen presence, she ends up being probably the best performer amongst the cast. Frank Focketijn plays her husband Werner, and also makes a pretty effective job as the sly Werner. Focketijn allows himself to go over-the-top at times, but he's never out of place and displays a great skill at comedy. Finally, Gene Bervoets plays Sam, and while he is a tad inferior to his co-stars, Bervoets isn't really bad, perfectly channeling the tough guy persona so typical of films noir.

Cleverly developed and brilliantly done, this little tribute to film noir is a quite amusing piece of work. In making an adaptation of a popular comic book, director Vincent Bal has gone beyond and delivers a quite enjoyable movie that not only remains faithful to its source, it actually builds up from there to create a heartfelt homage to a classic genre. Certainly the visual design is the film's strongest element, but it's also commendable the way Bal adapted the original comic book to suit his needs. The reconstruction of the period is excellent for a low budget film, and it does feel right at home with the films noir of the classic period. Still, this doesn't mean that "The Bloody Olive" lacks any problems, it has its fair share of flaws; the main one of them being perhaps the fact that in the end, it's still a one-joke film. Fortunately, director Vincent Bal's has focused greatly in his craftsmanship to make it an enjoyable experience. Yes, "The Bloody Olive" is a film of style over substance, but done right.

A lot of the charm of "The Bloody Olive" comes not from being familiar with the story, but from being familiar with the conventions of film noir, as the classic elements from those classic crime dramas can be found in an exaggerated form in "The Bloody Olive". Vincent Bal's film is perhaps an example of how an adaptation can be inventive with its source: while Lewis Trondheim's comic is fun by itself, Bal's film neither replicates it nor exaggerates it, it merely uses it as the basis to make a slightly more ambitious comedy. In "The Bloody Olive", director Vincent Bal proves that with talent and lots of imagination, an unforgettable movie can be done in the short format.

8/10
-------------------------------

The Third Man (1949)

There are movies that posses a remarkable technical excellence. There are also films that are simply just quite entertaining. And of course, there are movies of great artistic value too. And films that fully summarize the values and ideas of the time when they were made. And then there are films that truly encapsulate all that and more, that are so finely done that transcend their time, genre, nationality and are in fact real celebrations of that very human pleasure that is storytelling. Films that go beyond fulfilling the honorable goal of entertain and actually inspire. Those are masterpieces. And Carol Reed's "The Third Man" is one of those films. Produced in 1949, right at the beginning of the Cold War, "The Third Man" is a remarkable gem of filmmaking that more than 50 years after its release it still remains a captivating tale of mystery. A landmark of the broad thriller genre. The British Film Institute names it the best British film of the 20th Century. As pompous as that title may sound, it may actually not be that far from the truth.

"The Third Man" begins in Vienna, after Wolrd War II, where the city has been divided between the Allied forces. To the occupied city arrives American Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), an out of luck writer of pulp fiction, specifically Westerns, who has been offered a job by his childhood friend, Harry Lime. As soon as Martins arrives, he discovers that Lime was killed in an accident, ran over by a car while crossing the street. At Lime's funeral, Martins gets to know Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), and tries to figure out what happened in the last days of his dear friend. Martins begins to meet some of Lime's friends in Vienna, such as Baron Kurtz (Ernst Deutsch) and Popescu (Siegfried Breuer), who were with Lime when the accident took place. He also meets Lime's girlfriend, Anna (Alida Valli) and becomes fascinated with her. Inside Martins, the suspicion that Lime was killed begins to grow, specially when he finds out that at the time of his death there was a third man present. Martins will have to find out the identity of the third man.

Written by celebrated author Grahamn Greene (who famously wrote it initially as a novel in order to develop the plot. The novel was subsequently published), "The Third Man" is a cleverly written story of mystery with a captivating plot full of twists and turns, and a remarkably well done set of characters. However, while the interesting complexities of the plot are a joy, the gem of Greene's screenplay is the dialogs, which are literate and intelligent, but never overdone or artificial. Also, while deeply imbued by the conventions of film noir, "The Third Man" is notable in its subtle and elegant touches of comedy, that permeate the film with a very distinctive British tone. But behind its thrilling plot and its classy style, there are several themes that Greene explores that allow multiple readings of the film. For starters, it's ironic and frank disbelief in a peaceful post-War era is evident, but it's in the bittersweet way "The Third Man" deals with the topics of friendship and betrayal where the heart of the film is.

Certainly, the quite distinctive visual style of "The Third Man" is another of its highlights, with director Carol Reed crafting a breathtaking thriller that it's pure cinema. While certainly Greene's screenplay is a joy, the purely visual elements that Reed conjures in "The Third Man" enhance the atmosphere and take full advantage of cinema as a narrative medium. The work of cinematographer Robert Krasker is of great beauty, with the extensive use of Dutch angle shots and an Expressionist lighting style generate an atmosphere of tension, reflecting the alienation felt by Martins, whom by all accounts is a stranger in a strange land. The use of real Vienna locations for exteriors gives the film a gritty realism, pretty much in tone with the harshness of its plot. And yet, as mentioned above, Reed imbues his film with a darkly comedic tone of irony that fits the cynicism of his characters. With subtlety, he makes them captivating without softening in any way the impact of their lurid story.

The work done by the cast is simply amazing, showing the talents of the many excellent actors gathered in the film. Leading the cast is Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, perfectly capturing the nervousness and naiveté of this pulp writer eager to make it big in Vienna. Interestingly, Martins is far from a traditional heroic character, lacking the courage and determination of the classic archetype, but compensating it with wit and a good heart. A good heart that could be his doom. As his childhood friend and the origin of the mystery, Harry Lime, the legendary Orson Welles portrays the opposite of Martins, a man so sure of a presence so big that dominates the screen even when he is not even there. The discovery of what happened to Lime will have great effects in Martins' character. As Lime's girlfriend Anna, Italian actress Alida Valli is not only beautiful, but also owner of an equally strong presence. This is another interesting element, as her character is certainly more dominant than Martins, and yet, still devoted to Lime.

In the supporting cast, the same high quality is found, particularly in the work of Trevor Howard, who plays Major Calloway, and Ernst Deutsch, who is the mischievous Baron Kurtz. Each one of them has more than a moment to shine, as the script grants them enough room to breath and grow. Stylish and irremediably mesmerizing, it's hard to say anything about "The Third Man" that it's not a praise, as everything from Greene's intelligent screenplay to the haunting score composed by Anton Karas (entirely on a zither) seems to be in the right place to make "The Third Man" a timeless classic. In fact, the film's high quality has resulted in the common error of attributing the film to Orson wells, though he has gone on record as saying that the film is entirely Reed's enterprise. And this is nowhere clearer than in the film's ending, which diverts from Greene's plan. Against the writer's protests, Reed (with the support of producers Korda and Selznick) made the change and the result was one of cinema's best finales for a film.

In the end, Carol Reed's "The Third Man", more than an influential film, it's a film that summarizes everything that cinema is. If Orson Welles' own "Citizen Kane" marked a revolutionary innovation in cinema language in 1941, Carol Reed's film shows a polished, distilled form of those innovations fully applied in its narrative style and visual design. In many ways, this 1949 film closes a decade of multiple changes as a true modern film. It's still bears the mark of a traditional thriller, but enriched by its noir aesthetic and its sly cynicism, "The Third Man" already points out the direction cinema would take in the future. Certainly, the title of "best film" is entirely subjective, but "The Third Man" has everything to support an argument for it.

10/10
-------------------------------

El Bruto (1953)

Forced to leave Spain when Francisco Franco became a dictator, celebrated filmmaker Luis Buñuel found in Mexico a home and a new opportunity to make movies again. Nevertheless, the movies he had to do in the Mexican industry were far from the experimental surrealism of his initial output, as the Spaniard master had to learn how to make commercial films. Nevertheless, in 1950 the master would return to form with "Los Olvidados" a masterpiece of Mexican cinema that proved that the young maker of "Un Chien Andalou" was still alive and kicking. Sergio Kogan, one of the producers of "Los Olvidados", hired Buñuel to make a film for his wife Rosita Quintana, and the result was "Susana", which began a partnership between them which would also produce two more films: the urban melodramas "Una Mujer sin Amor" and "El Bruto". Starring Pedro Armendáriz and Katy Jurado, "El Bruto" is a film that, while apparently average at first, it actually has a lot of Buñuel's political ideologies hidden beneath its ordinary construction.

"El Bruto" (literally "The Brute") begins with a conflict between the poor tenants of a building and their landlord, Don Andrés Cabrera (Andrés Soler). DOn Andrés wants to sell the land, but his tenants don't want to be evicted. Their leader, Carmelo (Roberto Meyer), encourages his neighbors to fight for their rights. Don Andrés' wife Paloma (Katy Jurado) advices him to simply leave them leaderless. To this effect, Don Andrés calls Pedro (Pedro Armendáriz), a strong worker at Don Andrés' slaughterhouse who is nicknamed "Bruto". Tall and strong, but a tad dimwitted, Pedro is a loyal worker for Don Andrés, whom he considers his mentor, so he accepts the mission that his boss has given him: to scare Carmelo away. Pedro faces Carmelo and beats him, but the frail and sick Carmelo dies from his injury. Don Andrés hides Pedro in his home, where he'll face the seductive Paloma, who becomes quite interested in him. To further complicate things, Pedro will fall in love with Meche (Rosa Arenas), not knowing she's the daughter of the man he killed.

Written by Buñuel himself and his regular collaborator Luis Alcoriza, "El Bruto" is by all accounts, a fairly typical urban melodrama of passion and betrayal. Nevertheless, it's actually a multi-layered story that hides several of Buñuel's deeper and most complex idiosyncrasies. Not only "El Bruto" lets loose Buñuel's most Marxist views by having the working class Pedro serving as a pawn of the bourgeoisie, it explores the conflict of Pedro as a pawn of Paloma's desire and specially, of Pedro as a pawn of his own biggest flaws: lust and ignorance. Pedro could be a working class hero, but his sexual desire takes him first to live with a "family of leeches" (his girlfriend's family), to become Paloma's boy toy, which will result in greater problems for him when he discovers love with Meche. The love triangle between Pedro, Andrés and Paloma has certain Oedipal echoes, as its implied that Andres' tutorship of Pedro has had more to do with hidden familiar relationship rather than a purely altruist impulse.

Buñuel's work as a director is remarkable, and while the low budget is notorious, he makes the most of what he's got and carefully builds up the story, unfolding each element of the story skillfully, showing his domain of the visual narrative. The strength of "El Bruto" is in its storyline, and Buñuel gives enough space to develop the characters and enhance the story's impact. In terms of style, "El Bruto" is closer in tone and atmosphere to his 1950 masterpiece "Los Olvidados", as there's an amount of harsh realism in his depiction of life in the slums that his more surrealist pieces lack. This is not to say that the master's touches of surrealism are entirely absent, but in "El Bruto", they are more carefully concealed, kept dormant until the climatic ending, which has a pretty "Buñuelian" moment of surrealism in its epilogue. Cinematographer Agustín Jiménez offers a polished and stylish work that gives the film a noir visual look that's perfectly fitting, as in fact, "El Bruto" works as a film noir of the slums.

The cast is another of "El Bruto"'s greatest strengths, as it includes several of the best Mexican actors of all time. Leading the cast as Pedro is the legendary Pedro Armendáriz, who delivers a remarkable performance as the strong but not very brilliant hero of the film. A famous lead actor, Armendáriz plays a complex figure in "El Bruto", a pawn of forces bigger than himself, belittled by his difficulty to fully understanding his world. Pedro is not an idiot, but his naiveté and ignorance makes him someone easily manipulable. Yet as good as Armendáriz is, it is Katy Jurado whom as Paloma delivers the best performance in the film. Jurado's sensuous and voluptuous figure, coupled with her commanding screen presence makes her an ideal femme fatal, and not only shows her power manipulating Pedro, but also her older husband, Don Andrés. Played by Andrés Soler, Don Andrés is an equally complex character, on one side a ruthless businessman who cares little for the working class, yet he is also shown as a loving son and loyal friend.

This complex duality is the other running theme in "El Bruto", where nothing is really black and white. Each character in the film seems to have two sides, as if Buñuel was stating that despite the appearances, no villain is entirely bad, and no hero is entirely good. Meche, the young daughter of Carmelo, is perhaps the only character whose entirely "pure", as if she represented the grace that Pedro requires to stop being Bruto and become a full man. Once again, duality is present in Pedro as Bruto, because Pedro, dimwitted as he is, knows that Bruto is not a nice name. He is fully aware of his limitations, and begins to resent being seen as nothing more than a brute. As much as he desires Paloma's sexual favors, deep down he knows he is not seen as Pedro, but as Bruto, a thing made to be used. And this is Buñuel's at his most Marxist, as he presents the working class as a property of the bourgeoisie, represented by Don Andrés (heir of an "old money" family) and Paloma (a social climber). His awakening and quest for redemption become the core of this melodrama.

Often dismissed as being one of Buñuel's most ordinary and commercial efforts, "El Bruto" is actually one of the best movies from his Mexican output. While the film has notoriously low production values, there's a lot to enjoy in "El Bruto", as it's one of the films that most represent Buñuel's political leanings. Certainly, the film lacks the visual impact of "Los Olvidados", the charming irony of "Él" and the sharp criticism of "El Ángel Exterminador", but still, this minor gem about an oppressed man looking for his place is an impeccably done urban melodrama. In fact, this severely underrated film just proves that the world of director Luis Buñuel is stretched beyond his better known works in surrealism.

8/10
-------------------------------

L'autre monde (2010)

One of the most interesting new concepts that resulted from the creation of the Internet was that of massively multiplayer online games, that is, games where multiple players use the Internet to enter a computer-simulated world. As technology advanced, the games have become more and more detailed in their depiction of virtual worlds, to the point that games like "Second Life" have even developed its own virtual economy. Certainly, this has also raised concerns about the security and privacy of these virtual worlds, particularly because of the malicious use that could be given to them. This idea of a new brave new virtual world to explore, where one can create an identity completely different than the real one, inspired French director Gilles Marchand (of "Qui a tué Bambi?" fame) to create a story of suspense with the concept of a computer-simulated world as the basis. The result is "L'autre monde", literally "The Other World", a somber neo-noir with certain echoes of David Lynch's "Blue Velvet".

Known in English as "Black Heaven", "L'autre monde" is the story of Gaspard (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), a young teenager who one day finds a cellphone in beach. Along his girlfriend Marion (Pauline Etienne), Gaspard reads the text messages in it and discover a strange relationship going on between a man called Dragon (Swann Arlaud) and the phone owner, Audrey (Louise Bourgoin). Full of curiosity, Gaspard and Marion track down Dragon and Audrey, and follow them to the nearby woods, where the couple has decided to commit suicide together. Gaspard and Marion try to save them, but they can only rescue Audrey, however, they chose not to reveal their identity to her. Days after that event, Gaspard grows more and more obsessed with Audrey, specially when he discovers that Dragon and Audrey met in the popular massively multiplayer online game "Black Hole". Gaspard makes an account in "Black Hole" and meets Audrey again, but this will literally take him to another world unknown for him, a world of deceit, lies and death.

With a screenplay written by Marchand himself and Dominik Moll (director of the remarkable thriller "Harry un ami qui vous veut du bien"), "L'autre monde" chronicles Gaspard's obsessive infatuation with Audrey, the story's proverbial femme fatal. Gaspard lives in what by all accounts is a perfect world: he lives in a paradisaical seaside town, has recently moved out of home to live in a flat with his friends, and on top of that has just started a relationship with Marion. However, Audrey represents a different world for him, a dangerous yet captivating world that's new and attractive to him (danger is sexy after all). And the novelty of this world is reflected in Black Hole, the online game she frequents. Marchand and Moll make of "L'autre monde" a tale of Gaspard's loss of innocence, as the world turns out to be a lot bigger than what he, in all his adolescent naiveté, thought it was. Gaspard's descent to darkness, and the use they give to the virtual world concept as a twisted mirror of reality is particularly interesting.

This duality between the worlds, Gaspard's real life and his online ventures are portrayed by director Gilles Marchand's use of computer generated animation. The virtual world of Black Hole is an animated noir nightmare perpetually in night time with a minimalist yet decidedly Art Deco design (as contradictory as that may sound). The animation is fluid and has a certain somber beauty, which contrasts with the one of the natural landscapes Marchard's captures in Gaspard's town. Cinematographer Céline Bozon captures the vibrant colors of summer, taking advantage of the locations to create a very natural visual look. In fact, visually Marchard's "L'autre monde" is a very attractive film, which reflects perfectly the way Gaspard's life changes as he enters Black Hole and begins to have a double life there. Duality is a key aspect in "L'autre monde"'s story, and Marchard handles well the mystery aspects of the film, proving himself a capable director and storyteller. Unfortunately, his skill fails to save the screenplays' worst flaws.

The acting is pretty good for the most part, though some of the younger cast members show their lack of experience in their performances. Leading the cast as Gaspard, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet is really good as the teenager awaking to a world bigger than him. There's great realism in his performance, as he looks convincingly as both a curious innocent and as a malicious jerk. With the film based entirely around him, Leprince-Ringuet's under a lot of pressure, but manages to carry the film convincingly. As the mysterious and alluring Audrey, Louise Bourgoin is effective, though perhaps less convincing. While definitely a beautiful woman, there's a certain stiffness in her performance that plays against her role as femme fatal. Melvil Poupaud, playing Audrey's overprotective brother Vincent is far more successful, making a convincing portrait of a violent, unpredictable man not so happy with the young Gaspard approaching his sister. Pauline Etienne as Gaspard girlfriend is good, but her role is terribly underdeveloped.

And this is perhaps the greatest problem of what otherwise could had been an awesome neo-noir thriller: it's terribly underdeveloped screenplay. Marchard and Moll have created a fascinating tale of lies and deception that truly gives an interesting use to the concept of a second virtual life. However, there's a certain restrain, an unwillingness to actually take the premise to new grounds that it's all left as a mere cautionary tale about the dangers of spending too much time on the Internet. Something that wouldn't be so tragic if it wasn't for the fact that the film seemed to be aiming for better. In "L'autre monde" Marchard conveys all the necessary ingredients for a thrilling noir story (mystery, eroticism, treachery and darkness), but ends up in an anti-climatic tone that seems to betray everything that the film was achieving. Certainly, a disappointment, as the restrain Moll and Marchard show in the weak way they end the story makes the film feel like a TV movie.

"L'autre monde" has many good things going for it, beginning with the approach Marchard takes to portray the virtual world of Black Hole, and the overall noir atmosphere the movie has. However, the weak finale is certainly a disappointment, as it undermines everything that's built initially. And perhaps the disappointment is bigger given the fact that both Marchard and Moll have proved to be skilled in the construction of thrillers (the previously mentioned "Qui a tué Bambi?" and "Harry un ami qui vous veut du bien" are more than enough proof). All in all, "L'autre monde" or "Black Heaven" isn't really a bad film, it's just nowhere near the level its interesting premise could had been taken.

6/10
-------------------------------

The Big Sleep (1946)

Considered as a classic example of the film noir genre of filmmaking, Howard Hawks' "The Big Sleep" is famous not only for the complexity of its convoluted plot, but also for the high quality of its dialogs (and its rapid fire delivery) as well as the legendary coupling of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Oddly enough, the movie's most famous traits were not in the film's original version, and became the result of a series of changes and additions Hawks did to the film after the main shooting ended. The original version had less romance, and a better explained plot; it was only after the success of the two stars as a couple that it was decided to add more scenes between them, and the final version of "The Big Sleep" as we know it was born. Time proved that the changes were worthy, as now that both versions are available it is easy to pick a favorite. This review of "The Big Sleep" is based on the 1946 final version, as it's hard not to prefer the explosive pairing of Bogie and Bacall over the less convoluted original (but definitely less fun) cut.

In "The Big Sleep", private detective Philip Marlowe (Bogart) makes a visit to Gen. Sternwood (Charles Waldron), an old handicapped man who has a case for him. Sternwood tells Marlowe that he wants him to take care of the gambling debts of her younger daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers), as she is being blackmailed by a bookseller named Geiger (an uncredited Theodore Von Eltz). Marlowe takes the job, but before leaving he is confronted by Sternwood's other daughter, Vivian (Lauren Bacall), who wants Marlowe to find out what happened to their former employee (and her father's friend) Sean Regan, who simply disappeared under mysterious circumstances a month earlier. Marlow finds Geiger and follows him home, but the plot thickens when he finds Geiger dead in his home, killed by a mysterious man and Carmen in the crime scene out of her mind while high on drugs. A hidden camera with an empty cartridge is in the crime scene and soon Marlow will discover that Geiger's death is only the tip of the iceberg. And it all seemed like a simple blackmail case.

Based on Raymond Chandler's influential novel of the same name, "The Big Sleep" is definitely one wild ride to a dark world filled with gangsters, femme fatals, pornographers and drug addicts; in simple words, the epitome of the Film Noir kind of stories with the character of Philip Marlow achieving his status as one of the genre's biggest icon. The script (by the excellent team of William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman) follows closely the novel's story, but of course, with some additions, most of them being the exchanges of dialogs between Bogart and Bacall, added in an attempt to further exploit the couple's popularity with the audience. It is in this series of dialogs where the true magic of "The Big Sleep" is, as with the focus turned to the relationship between the couple, it becomes more enjoyable to navigate through the complex ambiguity of the plot. Now, this is not to say that the plot is boring, on the contrary, the delightfully perverse darkness of the complex plot in "The Big Sleep" is a top notch example of the dark worlds of film noir.

As usual, Howard Hawks' direction is direct, natural and straightforward, with the dialogs having major importance. Hawks lets the dialogs flow and drive the movie, while at the same time remaining true to the Noir style of its hard boiled source novel. It is easy to notice that Hawks considered the characters to be more important than his story, as the film focuses entirely on their actions instead of the results of those actions. It is this style what makes the film work, as he makes sure that the many supporting characters of the film receive a moment to shine in scenes of great emotion and juicy lines of dialog. However, Noir is also, a very visual style, and in this aspect Hawks doe snot disappoint, making "The Big Sleep" virtually a textbook of how to make a movie in the Noir style; with the excellent cinematography by Sidney Hickox being a major highlight of the movie, and the subtle yet appropriate score by Max Steiner creating the proper atmosphere of decadence that runs through the film as Marlowe gets deeper and deeper inside this dark world.

Being that the screenplay makes the characters the main focus, the performances by the cast are essential for the film. Bogart's portrayal of Raymond Chandler's best-known character, Phillip Marlowe, easily ranks as one of the greatest icons of the Film Noir genre, in a legendary performance only equaled by Lauren Bacall's Vivan Sternwood. Bacall's Vivian may not look as strong as other "Hawksian women" at first sight, but Bacall makes her a vivid force of nature. Bogie and Bacall's chemistry on screen was explosive, and Hawks knew exactly how to use it for his benefit. "The Big Sleep" is certainly one of the best (if not THE best) film with the legendary couple. As many have pointed out, Martha Vickers is a highlight of the film, stealing every scene she is in with her delightful portrayal of the wild spoiled brat Carmen Sternwood. A remarkable group of actors make the supporting roles of the film to come alive, each one of them adding their talents to the movie with excellent results. Dorothy Malone and Elisha Cook Jr. stand out among the rest by stealing the small scenes they appear.

The overtly complex plot may be considered by many as a flaw of the movie, specially as it is quite hard to follow at first and may even give the feeling of running through a constant series of plot holes. However, this ambiguous way of unfolding the story is just another device Hawks uses to keep the story character driven. It may seem at first that Hawks doesn't care too much for the plot, but this overtly complex puzzle reflects what Marlowe himself is experiencing, and in many ways makes the audience to identify with the detective and his work trying to solve the mystery of who is blackmailing who. In the end, what Hawks seems to go after is in building a relationship between Marlowe and the audience, with his case and his relation to Vivian getting more and more complicated each time. So, it is not the actual case what matters, but its effects in the characters. True, it is certainly difficult to follow the plot at first, but the way Faulkner and company have written the script certainly makes up for this difficulty.

Probably "The Big Sleep" may not be everybody's cup of tea, with its ambiguous story, dark cynical tone and overall bleak view on the world; however, I personally think that anyone interested in the history of cinema should give it a try. Granted, it's not an easy view, but it's a quite rewarding one. There's a certain magic in the Bogart-Bacall pairing that's captivating even to these days, and the whole visual style, classy and obscure, just oozes unadulterated noir. It also showcases some of the best performances by Bogie and Bacall ever and shows director Howard Hawks, that famous Jack-of-all-trades of Hollywood, proving his talent and versatility in the Film Noir genre. It certainly would be advisable to check the original cut as well, if only to get a different take on the film as a whole. Filled with unforgettable characters, "The Big Sleep" is one of those films that truly have earned a place amongst those movies one can simply label as: A real classic.

9/10
-------------------------------

Nos Miran (2002) @ Cult Reviews!

It's been a while since I wrote somehting, and that's quite unfortunate because, while life has taken me to different and ejoyable activities lately, I kin do fmiss writing about cinema. Fortunately, this month I could finish a piece for that cool website that allows me to write from time to time: yes, I'm talking once again about Cult Reviews. On this ocassion I wrote about "Nos Miran" (2002), one of the generation of Spaniard horror films that came during the last decade (and that fortunately, still is alive and kicking). Written by the remarkable Jorge Guerricaechevarria and directed by newcomer Norberto López Amado, Nos Miran" is a mix of horror and film noir about an obessesed detective looking for dissapeared people. Naturally, his dark past comes again to haunt him. Classy and tastefully Gothic in that sober vein that Spain's modern horror handles so well, this is a nice film to watch on a rainy night. You'll find more detail on the review at Cult Reviews of course.

Things may seem slow nowadays at Cult Reviews, but there's always somehtig there to discover. I must rcomend Perfesser Deviant's review of the 70s flick "Blood Stalkers" in his quite particular style. Also, Mr. Vomitron writes about one of my favourite modern films, "Harry, Un Ami Qui Vous Veut Du Bien", a beautifully done French thriller on the most Hitchcocknian style. Truly a superb work of art, and Mr. Vomitron's arguments seem to go on that way too. Check out his review. Finally, Coventry writes about a 2010's movie, "Srpski Film" ("A Serbian Film"), an extreme horror film that could literally be described as that hideous label Americans like to use: "torture porn". But well, according to good ol' Coventry, if "Hostel" is torture porn, then a new label must be created for "A Serbian Film", which seems to be extreme just for the sake of it. Coventry gets in more detail in his review. Finally, the full length movie available right now is the 1959's version of "The Bat", directed by Crane Wilbur. Personally, I prefer the silent version, but it's still worth to check it out.

So, keep supporting Cult Reviews!



-------------------------------

Changeling (2008)

In 1926, James E. Davis became Chief of Police of the City of Los Angeles, California; where he formed his infamous "gun squad": a 50-man team destined to blast crime without mercy. Unfortunately, the form of extra-judicial punishment delivered by the gun squad only brought even more violence to the streets, which along with the corruption inside the department and the incompetence of the police to solve crimes resulted in a huge amount of bad reputation for the LAPD. It was under this circumstances that the strange case of Christine and Walter Collins took place, the case of a missing child that the LAPD wanted to use to boost its reputation but that ended up uncovering the terrible and corrupt methods used by the department to silence its enemies. More than 70 years later, scriptwriter and journalist J. Michael Straczynski learned about the case and, fascinated by it, decided to take it to the big screen, writing a screenplay and sent it to his agent. Interested in the case and the period setting, director Clint Eastwood decided to take the project.

Titled "Changeling", the film tells the story of single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), whom one day in 1928, returns home to discover that her son, Walter (Gattlin Griffith), is missing. The LAPD opens an investigation about it, and several months later, the department informs Christine that her son Walter has been found alive in another state. Incredibly happy about the news, Christine awaits eagerly for her son, whose return is announced by the LAPD as a great triumph. However, when Christine meets the boy the police claims is Walter (Devon Conti), she claims the boy is not her son. Captain J. J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), head of the department's Juvenile Division, insists the boy is Walter and pressures Christine into taking him home to avoid a media scandal. Despite this, Christine begins a crusade to find her real son and gathers consistent proof that the boy is not her son. Knowing that Christine's actions may become dangerous to the police, Captain Jones decides to send her to an psychiatric hospital. But Christine won't let them to silence her.

Completed after a lengthy work of research, J. Michael Straczynski's screenplay for "Changeling" is a heavily detailed account of the Collins case, including its connection to the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders. But even when Straczynski offers a complete overview of the case (straight from historical records), "Changeling"'s focus is entirely on Christine Collins and her crusade to prove that the boy the LAPD claimed to be her son was an impostor, and that her real son was still missing. On this aspect, "Changeling" is more a drama about the disempowerment of women than about the mystery itself, as it follows the attempts done by the LAPD to silence her, reflecting the ways women were treated in the past when they became trouble for the male-dominated police department. Under this focus, Straczynski also makes the point that the brutal methods employed by the corrupt police department to cover its mistakes and protect itself were as terrible as the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, as they were done by those supposed to protect and serve the society.

With themes such as rampant police corruption, authority abuse, and the loss of innocence of a rising city; director Clint Eastwood evokes in "Changeling" the tone and mood of film noir to tell the story of Christine Collins' fight against the system. To achieve this atmosphere, Eastwood puts to great use the remarkable job done by cinematographer Tom Stern, who gives the film an antique visual look that suits nicely the period setting. Taking a subtle, restrained approach to the film's subject, Eastwood avoids to fall in overemotional melodrama or in the cheap sensationalism, and remains as objective as possible, keeping true to Straczynski's compromise with the historical account of the case. While it's one of the biggest productions in his career, Eastwood's film flows in a very intimate way, focusing on the characters' humanity and their interactions. Also, it's worth to point out the great work done by the visual effects team, who manage to recreate Los Angeles' old landscape and prove that digital effects are not an exclusivity of the more fantastic genres.

Leading the cast is Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins, the single mother who must face not only the tragedy of losing a child, but also the oppression of having the police working against her. In what's probably an atypical role for her, Angelina Jolie brings back that talent that seemed to be hidden behind the whole celebrity image of her recent years. As Collins, Jolie is subtle, restrained, and surpassing all the expectations, manages to portray Collins' mix of fragility and strength with a very natural and believable charm. As Captain J. J. Jones, Jeffrey Donovan is excellent, representing remarkably not only the historical Captain Jones, but also the whole image of 1920's corrupt LAPD. Playing Rev. Gustav A. Briegleb, the man who helps Collins to keep fighting, is John Malkovich, who once again delivers a great performance, even if he's role is toned down in favor of Jolie's. Finally, two actors make excellent jobs even if their roles are also considerably smaller: Michael Kelly as Det. Lester Ybarra, and Jason Butler Harner, who plays Gordon Stewart Northcott.

Impeccably crafted and filled with a powerful message, in "Changeling" director Clint Eastwood delivers again an excellent movie that manages to deal with one of Lost Angeles' most lurid events with taste, class, and surprisingly, objectivity. Granted, it could be said that the movie does have a strong dose of social message about police corruption and women's rights; but the whole thing is executed with such a restrained pace and is so faithful to the historical facts, that it never feels tiresome or boring in the way it handles its message. If anything, the film may feel a tad typical in its presentation, although certainly the scope it has goes beyond the constrains of any genre. While not exactly a film noir, it's easy to make a connection, and not only because of the setting, as "Changleing" does offer the whole oppressive atmosphere and mystery that filled those classic films. The key difference being that, due to the focus on Christine Collins and her crusade, "Changeling" deals a bit more with emotions, as it's through her that we experience the cold fist of the 1920's LAPD.

A visual joy that brings back memories from the classic era, "Changeling" may not rank amongst Clint Eastwood's best films as a director, but in the end, given the talent the legendary actor has developed in his years as a director, it's still far superior than most filmmaker's work. While a bit slow at times, "Changeling" is quite a mesmerizing experience thanks to its recreation of the period and wonderful visual look. It's good to see that Angelina Jolie has more in her than the celebrity image the media has built around her, and thanks to Clint Eastwood, "Changeling" is a great reminder of her talent. Personally, I find in "Changeling" yet another proof that if there's a true heir of Hollywod's style for making classic, that's Clint Eastwood.

8/10
-------------------------------

The Amazing Mr. X (1948) @ Cult Reviews!

Once again I have written a review for Cult Reviews, that site devoted to horror and cult cinema that offers me a space to write from time to time. This time the film in question is Bernard Vorhaus' "The Amazing Mr. X" (1948), a very interesting thriller that fuses horror with the style and topics of film noir in quite a remarkable way. It is the story of a phony spiritualist played by Turhan Bey (known for his work in "The Mummy's Tomb") and his intrusion in the life of a rich widow (played by Lynn Bari). It's quite a surprise, but unfortunately, the film also suffers from some problems, but well, you'll find a more detailed opinion about it on the site.

Cult Reviews also offers a very fun review of that little gem of comedy and horror named "Teeth" (2007), an interesting overview of the indie exploitaiton flick about vomit and other fluids called "Slaughtered Vomit Dolls" (2006), and a trip back to the 80s with Charles McCrann's "Toxic Zombies". Also, for the first Cult Reviews features a full length movie, "Dementia 13", and I'm told that other films in the public domain will have a showcase there in the future.

So, keep supporting Cult Reviews!



-------------------------------

The World Gone Mad (1933)

One of the most prolific directors in the history of American film, filmmaker Christy Cabanne was in the movie industry for almost 40 years, from his days as an actor in the early 1910s to his final movie, "Silver Trails", in 1948. Assistant to D.W. Griffith, discoverer of Douglas Fairbanks, seasoned director for hire and responsible of many of classic Hollywood's B-movies, Cabanne's career had certainly its fair share of up and downs, and through his life he found himself making films for the major studios as well as for those little companies from the poverty row. Historian Kevin Brownlow named Cabanne as "one of the dullest directors of the silent era", but while that statement is not without its reasons (and it even could be applied to some of his talkies as well), sometimes Cabanne's films were more than cheap canon fodder. One could think that Cabanne's best movies are the ones for the big companies, but actually some of his best are low budget films done for small studios, like 1933's "The World Gone Mad".

In "The World Gone Mad", Pat O'Brien is Andy Terrell, a tough wisecracking reporter whom is close friends with District Attorney Avery Henderson (Wallis Clark) and his office. One night, Henderson is murdered and his reputation ruined as his body is found in his supposed "love nest", however, neither Andy nor Henderson's protégé, the recently appointed Dist. Atty. Lionel Houston (Neil Hamilton), believe such thing of their deceased friend, so both decide to find the killers in order to clean Henderson's name. However, it won't be an easy task, because as Houston begins to dig deeper, he becomes the assassins' next target, so Andy will have to use all his wits and resources (some of which may or may not be entirely legal) to protect his friends and solve the case. Things get even more complicated as Andy discovers that the whole thing seems to be linked to corruption and frauds inside a big company, which happens to be owned by the family of Lionel's fianceé, Diane (Mary Brian).

Written by Edward T. Lowe Jr., "The World Gone Mad" has something few films from the poverty row could enjoy: a really great screenplay. Not only Lowe constructs a truly interesting story of conspiracies and mystery filled with many twists and turns, he also creates a very good array of characters that, while probably stereotypes, are very well defined. Like many of the best crime films of the 30s, Lowe's story has more in common with pulp novels than with classic crime fiction, making it essentially a prototype for the stories that would make films noir of the 40s as it showcases a world rotten by corruption even at the high spheres of society. Its main character, Andy, is not your typical 30s fast talking reporter; sure, at first glance is the archetypal wisecracking hero of 30s mysteries, but he is also a hard drinking tough guy with more in common with the detective role in films noir than with other characters of his ilk. Granted, the plot is a bit too convoluted for its own sake, but it's actually a well constructed one.

As a director for hire, Christy Cabanne was someone able to properly handle low budgets and deliver a movie in time without many problem. And that probably had a lot to do with the fact that Cabanne seems to rarely messed with the screenplay. While this may often result in simple, mediocre movies, in cases like this, where the screenplay is the main star, this style of having no style may be a blessing. Efficiently, Cabanne translates Lowe's screenplay to the big screen without problem, in a simple, yet appropriately straightforward fashion. Having a slightly bigger budget than usual, greater care is taken in terms of art direction and costume design, with cinematographer Ira H. Morgan (a Monogram Pictures regular) capturing Lowe's 30s world gone mad in all its Art Deco glory. Unfortunately, this also has the downside that since Cabanne's style is well, kind of dull, action sequences are not exactly his forte and are a bit sketchy, and besides that, when the plot goes slower the movie drags quite a bit.

Another of the film's highlights are the performances by the cast, which are truly of great quality considering this was just a low budget crime film. As Andy Terrell, Pat O'Brien is simply perfect, making the most of Lowe's intelligent dialog and completely owning his character, resulting in a very natural and believable performance. Like the classic 30s reporters, Andy is funny and witty, but this wisecracking newsman is also willing to get down and do the dirty work when necessary. Neil Hamilton is also good as the young District Attorney Lionel Houston, although in all fairness, he gets easily overshadowed by his cast mates, although that feeling of impotence and naiveté was perhaps intended. As Carlotta Lamont, the film's prototype of femme fatal, Evelyn Brent is great and has very good chemistry with O'Brien (both have a remarkable and very suggestive scene in the dark). The rest of the cast is good enough for the film although Huntley Gordon and Richard tucker are probably the weakest of them.

As written above, the film's main problem is definitely the dull way Cabanne has to bring the story to screen, as while the script is filled with many interesting situation and thrilling plot twists, Cabanne's unimaginative direction almost transforms it into nothing more than just another crime film. "The World Gone Mad" has an enormous potential in both its script and its performances (I can't tell how great O'Brien is in this one), not to mention the bigger budget, but Cabanne merely moves the camera and shoots in a quite boring and uninteresting way. In films like this one, there are always times when the plot moves slowly, often to offer an explanation or something similar, but as I was saying above, Cabanne's film-making make this scenes an enormous drag to the film, making it lose that spark that the characters have. It's not that Cabanne is a bad director (his "The Mummy's Hand" is quite a very good film, and mainly because of Cabanne), but personally, I think that this time he was completely uninterested in the film he was making.

Despite its problems, "The World Gone Mad" is, in my opinion, one of Christy' Cabanne's best films, and one of the most interesting B-movies from classic Hollywood. By some reason, it's often counted amongst horror films, probably because being in the public domain, it tends to be included in movie collections of the genre, however, if there's anything horrific about "The World Gone Mad", is its theme of the destruction of a person employing the power that grants money and social position. Quite an interesting theme, for a poverty row film. Unfortunately, it never reached its true potential, but it could had been a classic.

6/10

Buy "The World Gone Mad" (1933)

Watch "The World Gone Mad" (1933)

The Stranger (1946)

At the young age of 27 years old, filmmaker Orson Welles had already directed a masterpiece (1941's "Citizen Kane"), and was on his way to bigger things. Unfortunately, his luck wasn't meant to last forever, and Welles' rising star would face the dark side of working for a major studio. First there was the troubled birth of Welles' second film, "The Magnificent Ambersons", which went over budget at a time when RKO Studios was in serious problems. To make things worse, Welles left production and headed to South America to shoot a documentary. His departure made RKO to take over the film and make it fit their demands, meaning the editing of over 40 minutes and a drastic change in the ending. So, disenchanted with the results of studio's interference (although his own stubbornness played a big role in this debacle), Welles wouldn't direct another film until 1946, where he returned to the director's chair with "The Stranger". But the shadow of studio's interference wasn't really out of the picture.

In "The Stranger", Edward G. Robinson plays Mr. Wilson, an investigator from the War Crimes Commission hunting for Franz Kindler (Orson Welles), an elusive Nazi fugitive. In order to find him, Wilson releases one of Kindler's former comrade Meinike (Konstantin Shayne) hoping that the weakened Meinike will lead them to their prey. To Wilson's surprise, Meinike's path takes him to Harper, Connecticut, where Kindler has effectively assumed a new identity as professor Charles Rankin, teaching at the local University and married to Mary Longstreet (Loretta Young), daughter of Supreme Court justice Judge Adam Longstreet. However, Wilson's mission won't be easy, as not only Kindler is perfectly hidden as a respectable member of Harper's society, but also kills Meininke before being identified and is willing to anything in order to keep his identity a secret. Now the only one who can help Wilson to unmask Kindler is the person that loves the former Nazi the most: Mary.

Based on a story by Victor Trivas, "The Stranger"'s screenplay was written by Anthony Veiller, and further rewritten (uncredited) by John Huston and Orson Welles himself, who tried to make the story to be more than a typical thriller. Because at its core, that's what "The Stranger" is, a conventional thriller with glimpses of film noir that lifts several ideas from Alfred Hitchcock's 1943's, "Shadow of a Doubt" (mainly the theme of a great evil hidden in a small town) and imbues them with that feeling of paranoia and suspicion that began to flourish during the Great War in a less subtle way than before. However, despite being kind of typical, "The Stranger" is not merely a distilled version of Hitchcock's classic, as the writers make a very conscious effort in making a complex portrait of the film's villain, carefully playing with the audience's sympathies, as even when his real motifs and personality are obvious since the beginning, this monster at times manages to be as charming as the "good guys".

As written above, Welles wasn't in the best position when he accepted to direct this film, and basically did it as a hired gun. Despite this (and the fact that Welles' final cut was also edited by the studio), there are many traces of Welles' vision in the film, as even when it wasn't his own material, he did put a lot of his creativity in the movie. While the most noticeable element of Welles' vision is probably in the script (in Kindler's complex persona), "The Stranger" also showcases Welles' film-making talent and style at several points, starting with the dynamic cinematography (by Russell Metty) employed to capture that small town atmosphere in a very natural, haunting way. Metty does add a lot of beauty to many scenes, making Welles' inventive set pieces (like the final confrontation) to shine and elevate the film from being a mere thriller. As expected from Welles, his directing of his cast is remarkable, and he manages to bring the best out of practically everyone in the cast.

As Kindler, Welles is simply outstanding, being frighteningly believable in both of his character's identities: as the charming and respectable History professor and as the zealous, borderline fanatical, ideologist of the Nazi regime. The remarkable thing, in my opinion, is how Welles makes so easy to feel sympathy for his character, with the same ease as the former Nazi convinces the townspeople that he is just a nice fellow American. As the cunning Mr. Wilson, Edward G. Robinson is equally superb in his performance as the man decided to do the impossible to uncover the identity of the man responsible of many heinous war crimes. Robinson owns his role with ease, and in fact his performance may had been the inspiration for several other famous lawmen in film. Loretta Young is very good as Kindler's unsuspecting wife, although to tell the truth, she is kind of overshadowed by both Welles and Robinson. A young Richard Long appears as her brother and truly manages to steal several scenes.

Like most of Welles' work after "Citizen Kane", "The Stranger" also suffered from the interference of studios unhappy with Welles' vision. This time such interference resulted in lengthy cuts done to the film, however, I must say that while the film feels kind of typical and too simple for a movie by Orson Welles, the cuts may had been beneficial, as the story is well, rather simple. While I'm sure that Welles attempted to make it better with lengthy back story, the complexity he added to Kindler was enough for the film to be more than a common thriller, and probably the added scenes would have interfered with the fast pace the story has. I guess that at this point in history, Welles' reputation may be "The Stranger"'s worst enemy, as one may expect something more original, or complex, but I think that even when "The Stranger" is far from being one of Welles' masterpieces (and if I'm not mistaken, this one was his least favorite among his films), there's a lot in its simplicity to like.

While "The Stranger" had very good results at the box office (Welles' only film to do that well), the legendary filmmaker was disenchanted with his work as a hired gun for a studio, and decided to keep fighting for his right for creative control. However, despite being a "minor work" and not completely "his film", the movie has a lot of Welles in it and it's quite an effective and enjoyable thriller. It's easy to watch "The Stranger" expecting another "Citizen Kane" or at least a "Touch of Evil", but that would lead to a disappointment, it's better to just sit back and enjoy watching the master doing his thing, which he does masterfully, despite not being really happy at doing it.

8/10

Buy "The Stranger" (1946)

Watch "The Stranger" (1946)

The Killer's Kiss (1955)

At the relatively young age of 23 years old, a promising photographer named Stanley Kubrick decided to try his luck at making movies after becoming fascinated by the inventive camera-work of Max Ophüls' movies. The young Kubrick had a promising start, as he quickly sold his first two short films (the documentaries "Day of the Fight" and "Flying Padre") to RKO Radio Pictures' newsreel division, a success that made him decide to quit his job at "Look" and become a full-time filmmaker. However, not everything was easy, as the critical and commercial failure of his first theatrical movie, 1953's "Fear and Desire", almost put a halt to the young filmmaker's career. After this failure, Kubrick decided not to give up and spent the following two years saving money in order to make another movie: "Killer's Kiss", the movie that would pave the way for Kubrick's future masterpieces.

"Killer's Kiss" is the story of Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith), a 29 years old boxer living in New York at the apparent end of his career. After losing another fight against a younger and better opponent, Gordon contemplates to retire and return to his uncle's farm in Seattle to work. However, everything changes when he notices that Gloria Price (Irene Kane), the young lady who lives next to his apartment, is being attacked by a man named Vincent Rapallo (Frank Silver). Gordon quickly intervenes and manages to scare Rapallo away, and this event makes him meet Gloria and discover her life. He finds out that she is a dancer, and that Rapallo is her employer, a violent man that owns the dance hall where she works. While Gordon is quickly falling in love with Gloria, Mr. Rapallo is planning his vengeance, as he is not willing to let Gloria run away from his hands.

With a screenplay written by Howard Sackler (who also helped Kubrick in "Fear and Desire"), "Killer's Kiss" was based on an original story by Stanley Kubrick himself (something he would never do again) that in many ways seems to reflect Kubrick's vision of New York in those years. Essentially a crime film deeply rooted in the film noir genre, "Killer's Kiss" deals with Gordon's adventure through the dark side of New York and his gazing into the morbid world of low-life gangsters. It's certainly a very simple story, and while the quality of the dialogs ain't really amazing, Kubrick and Sackler manage to add nice twists to the plot, a good dose of suspense, and specially, an interesting development of the characters and their relationships. They all seem very human and realistic, which together with the dark and gritty world they inhabit enhances the realism of his story.

While the story may not be of the quality Kubrick would achieve later in his career, visually "Killer's Kiss" is a joy. With a superb work of cinematography, Kubrick captures New York city at its darkest with a raw and gritty style that fits perfectly the tone of the film. His mix of light and shadows in the noir style is remarkable, and adds a lot of atmosphere to the movie. Taking a realist approach to the story, Kubrick seems to give a good use to everything he learned by making documentaries (the fight scene brings back memories from his first short, "Day of the Fight"), and it is in fact his dynamic camera-work what makes the movie special. Finally, the music by Gerald Fried (who also started his career in Kubrick's first short) is another of the highlights of "Killer's Kiss", subtly adding a morbid and somber tone to the movie's images.

Well, the acting is not exactly good, as with the exception of Frank Silvera and Jamie Smith, nobody in the cast was a professional actor at the time of making "Killer's Kiss". As boxer Davy Gordon, Smith is actually good and is very convincing as a fighter whose better days are in the past. While his character is a tough guy, Smith manages to give him an everyman look, making really easy to sympathize with him. Like Smith, Frank Silvera is also good in the role of Mr. Rapallo, the sinister owner of the dance hall, although at times he is not as convincing as Smith. However, Kubrick's screenplay makes Rapallo more human than the villain caricature that it could had been, and Silvera truly takes good advantage of that. It is Irene Kane as Gloria Price where the movie fails, as she seems unable to do with her character something more than looking great on film.

Sadly, the rest of the cast is actually worse, with the probable exception of Jerry Jarret, a non-professional actor who is very convincing as Gordon's manager. The bad quality of the acting truly diminishes the power of the writers' script, as while the dialogs aren't exactly good, the bad acting makes them sound even worse. Still, Kubrick's visual poetry is what makes the movie to stand out among the rest as despite its flaws it shows that the young photographer who made it was truly a promising talent. Shot in areas near the apartment where Kubrick lived on those years, "Killer's Kiss" is like an oddly attractive postcard of those sides of New York where nobody would like to get lost, as Kubrick makes this dark and gritty story a haunting portrait of his city showing its best and its worst faces at the same time.

While at first sight it may seem that the movie is important only because a young Stanley Kubrick made it, "Killer's Kiss" really has some interesting elements on its favor. Kubrick's powerful cinematography and skill as a storyteller are already displayed here, as well as his skillful use of music to add atmosphere to the scenes. While certainly weak in some aspects, "Killer's Kiss" is an excellent film noir that most importantly, would attract producers for Kubrick's first masterpiece: 1956's "The Killing".

7/10

Buy "The Killer's Kiss" (1955)

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

The city of Hollywood, California, as the historical center of the American movie industry, has been a place of fantasies and fascinations since the first film producers decided to move there in 1913. Most of this almost supernatural mystique that has impregnated the city since those days was a direct result of the economic bonanza of the "Roaring Twenties" and the creation of the "star system", imposed by the major film studios in the early years Hollywood's Golden Age. The myths and legends of classic Hollywood would soon be exported to the world, and became an enormous influence for an Austrian young writer named Samuel "Billy" Wilder. Wilder would later move to America after the rise of the Nazi regime, and started a promising career at Hollywood, the very place of his dreams of youth. The opulence and decadence of the city inspired Wilder to write and direct a legendary movie in 1950: "Sunset Boulevard".

"Sunset Boulevard" is the story of two persons, writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) and former silent-film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), whose lives will coincide on Sunset Blvd. and will never be the same again. As a scriptwriter, Gillis has not been lucky for a while, and finally finds himself hunted by two repossession agents who expect him to pay for his car. In his attempt to flee, Gillis hides his car in an apparently abandoned mansion on Sunset Boulevard. However, the mansion is not deserted, and inside he mets the owner, the legendary film star Norma Desmond, who has faded into obscurity after the arrival of sound movies. After she discovers Gillis is a writer, she offers to hire him so he can help her with a script she has been writing for her comeback to cinema. Gillis accepts, thinking it's an easy way to earn fast money, but soon he'll discover that nothing comes off that easily, specially on Sunset Blvd.

While the movie is definitely Wilder's brainchild, the script was written with the help of his usual collaborator, Charles Brackett; and former film critic D.M. Marshman Jr., who was hired by Wilder and Brackett to help them develop the plot. The story follows the classic film noir pattern, but soon it is obvious that this movie goes beyond any genre conventions as it adds touches of horror, drama and black comedy in the most unmerciful critique to the decadence of Hollywood's Golden Age. The way the writers develop the characters is simply perfect in all its cynic realism, as while the characters are not without a touch of grotesque, they still look and feel so real that just enhance the horror and tragedy of this twisted tale about the dark side of Hollywood. Filled with fascinating characters, carefully placed details and a wonderful tale of madness, the script for "Sunset Blvd." is definitely one of the finest ever written.

As if writing a monumental screenplay wasn't enough, Wilder also excels as a director in this masterpiece, bringing his script to life in a haunting and beautiful way. Just like he did 6 years before with "Double Indemnity", once again Wilder reinvents the film noir genre thanks to the amazing cinematography by John F. Seitz, who captures the darkness of Norma Desmond's life with his heavily atmospheric film noir photography. His care for details and references to old Hollywood extend beyond his screenplay and populate the film in more than one way (the inspired use of cameos by real former silent-film stars for example), adding a great amount of authenticity and realism to the movie. Finally, the performances he managed to get from his main cast are simply some of the best done in an American movie.

Many has already been said about the outstanding performance done by Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, but I can't help but commenting on the extraordinary level of perfection she achieved on her role. In her eerily autobiographical character (Desmond's past resembled Swanson's career in some ways), Swanson transforms herself in the vivid incarnation of the twisted mirror image of Hollywood's life, creating a larger than life character that gave her a much deserved praise. In his breakthrough role, William Holden makes an excellent subtle and witty counterpart to Swanson's over-the-top character, and despite facing extraordinary actors in this wild ride through Hollywood, he never disappoints and proves to be up to the challenge. Finally, legendary director Erich Von Stroheim appears as Norma's stoic butler, and adds a haunting aura of dignity to the movie with the powerful presence of his acting.

Despite being a powerful criticism to the studio system and a brutal deconstruction of the Hollywood myths, "Sunset Blvd." is also a fond love letter to the movies that resulted from it, and specially to the artists behind them (The cameos by director Cecil B. DeMille, Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner and Anna Q. Nilsson are a testament of this); as while tragic and pathetic, there is a certain sweetness and humanity in the characters that makes this set of old Hollywood ghouls to be so charming despite their madness. While not without flaws (Nancy Olson's performance feels uninspired when compared to the rest of the cast), "Sunset Blvd." is one of those movies that truly deserves its status as "classic", as thanks to Wilder's direction and the cast's performances, it reaches the closest a film can be to perfection.

Time magazine described the film as the story of "Hollywood at its worst told by Hollywood at its best", and that's probably the best way to describe the haunting story of Norma Desmond in "Sunset Blvd.". Like the famous street that gives the movie its name, Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd." has developed a powerful mystique around it, but that's just because in the course of its destruction of Hollywood's illusions, the movie made them even more real.

10/10

Buy "Sunset Blvd." (1950)