★ 8 / 10
The dark pit opened up and I dived
John Chard
The dark pit opened up and I dived right in! Well well, here we have a noir film that really has to be one of the most divisive in the genre, it would seem…
The dark pit opened up and I dived right in!
Well well, here we have a noir film that really has to be one of the most divisive in the genre, it would seem that some feel it's closer in texture to what Raymond Chandler wrote, and that the portrayal of Phillip Marlowe by Dick Powell is spot on in its execution.
Many others disagree completely though...
Now since I haven't read any of the novels Chandler wrote I have no frame of reference there, but having watched The Big Sleep this past week I feel the push me pull you polar opposite feelings this film creates.
Phillip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is a gruff wise cracking private eye, he is hired by ex convict Moose Malloy (a splendid Mike Mazurki) to find former girlfriend Velma who has been missing for 6 years, this sends him spiralling into a web of deceit, blackmail, theft, murder, in short all the great ingredients for classic noir. For sure the film has a cracking plot that dovetails a treat, but is it dark enough to fully flesh out the material? I just got this annoying itch that where the film should be getting murkier and deadly dark it was in fact far too breezy. Powell does good enough, but the wisecracks to me became more of a hindrance than an enjoyment, I felt in short that I was being lifted out of the dark when I actually wanted to stay cloaked in mud.
The film is still an incredible watch, the photography from Harry Wild is lush, and the core essence of the story is bang on the money, while I should mention the cracking performances of the supporting cast as Claire Trevor and Otto Kruger join in the mystery to help raise the film to a higher standard. Some scenes are joyous in the extreme, witness a nightmare sequence that is as gorgeous as it is unnerving, and director Edward Dmytryk excels in creating a bleak topsy turvy underworld, I just wish that this particular film had done away with the airiness. 8/10
★ 7 / 10
Love The Wisecracks, But Wish It Was Easier To Understand
ccthemovieman-1
This is considered one of the classic film noirs ever made and some think THE film noir. In recognizing that before I had seen it, perhaps I was disappointed…
This is considered one of the classic film noirs ever made and some think THE film noir. In recognizing that before I had seen it, perhaps I was disappointed because I expected more.What I found was a very confusing film, at least in the last third of the movie as everything started to be explained. It almost got ridiculous in the last 10 minutes when Dick Powell ("Philip Marlowe") explained the whole story. He talked too fast and it was next to impossible to follow. I guess I will have to view this more often to understand it better, or find someone who can explain it for my feeble brain.The best part of the film was the cinematography, which really comes to life on the DVD. Someone did a very nice job restoring this film. That, and the general dialog by Powell, were fascinating. You could make a short book with all the wise-guy remarks made by "Marlowe" in this film - a lot of great stuff. I just wish they had made a simpler story and made it easier for the viewer to digest all the facts at the end.
★ 7 / 10
Complex and Mysterious Story
claudio_carvalho
The private detective Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is hired by the violent and stupid Moose Malloy (Mike Mazurki) to seek out his former girlfriend Velma…
The private detective Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is hired by the violent and stupid Moose Malloy (Mike Mazurki) to seek out his former girlfriend Velma Valento. Moose spent eight years in prison and lost contact with her. Marlowe goes to the night-club where Velma worked but the owner died years ago; then he visits the widow that tells that she does not know Velma. However Marlowe finds a photo of Velma and the woman says that she is dead. On the next morning, Marlowe is visited in his office by a man called Lindsay Marriott (Douglas Walton) and he offers US$ 100 to Marlowe work as his bodyguard in an isolated area where he will pay an amount to retrieve stolen jewels. However things go wrong and Marriott is killed and Marlowe is hit on the head and faints. Marlowe goes to the police station to report the murder; the detectives ask if he knows a man called Jules Amthor (Otto Kruger) and to stay away from the man. Marlow meets Ann Grayle (Anne Shirley) in his office asking about the murder posing as a reporter. She brings him home and introduces his wealthy old father Leuwen Grayle (Miles Mander) and his young wife Helen Grayle (Claire Trevor) to him. Marlowe learns that a rare and expensive jade necklace was stolen from Helen when she was dancing with Marriott and Leuwen hires him to retrieve the jewel. When Marlowe is leaving the house, he stumbles upon Amthor. Then Moose forces Marlowe to go to Amthor's house and he drugs Marlowe trying to find where the necklace is. When Marlowe succeeds to escape, he starts to think to solve the puzzle. Who might have stolen the jade necklace? What happened with Verna Valento?"Murder, My Sweet" is a complex film-noir with a mysterious detective story. The plot has many details and the viewer must pay attention to them. The plot begins with the private detective Philip Marlowe seeking out a vanished girl; switches to the investigation of a stolen jade necklace; and ends entwining the investigations. The romantic conclusion is entertaining. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Até a Vista, Querida" ("See You Later, Darling")
94%
TOMATOMETER
· 17 reviews
86%
AUDIENCE
· 2.5K ratings
7.5/10
16.6K
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kindly reseed, thanks for the upload ?