Prime Time: Candy Cane Lane (2023)

You know you're in trouble during the festive season when you start to focus on decorations and competition against what others deem to be the true value of Christmas. Well, maybe you don't know it, but you will soon enough. Especially if you're a character in a Christmas movie.

Eddie Murphy is Chris Carver, a man who decides to put all of his time and energy into winning a neighbourhood Christmas decorating contest in order to win a prize that will make him feel much more secure after recently being laid off from his work. Chris has a loving and supportive wife, Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), an athletic daughter (Joy, played by Genneya Walton) who wants to keeps butting heads with her folks when it comes to deciding on the next venue for her further education, a musical son (Nick, played by Thaddeus J. Mixson) who isn't doing so well in his maths class, and young Holly (Madison Thomas), a little girl who just seems to want everyone to have the cheer and happiness that she has in her life. The whole family has to work together when Chris inadvertently signs himself up for a Christmas-themed challenge set by a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) that would see him turned into a small Christmas ornament if he loses.

Written by a relative newcomer, Kelly Younger (who, before this, only has a couple of muppet projects in his screenplay portfolio), this is a high-concept film that looks to have a bigger budget than your average Christmas movie, judging by the CGI used throughout. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t work better, with the highlights jostling alongside mediocrity in a narrative that never seems to flow or build any real sense of momentum.

Director Reginald Hudlin may have spent most of the last few decades working on various TV shows, but he’s a very capable pair of hands, and he shows good instincts in the main sequences that show the various members of the Carver family playing to their individual strengths.

Murphy does okay in a lead role that fails to let him shine, he has to be the dad/husband learning important lessons and he does well enough with that. Ross has less to do, but steps up to the mark when it is her turn to give everyone a supportive shake. As for the younger family members, each one is kept in their respective character trait pigeonhole. Thomas has to be sweet, and she is. Walton has to show her character is a fast runner, and determined to start becoming more independent, and she does. And Mixson gets to show off the musical talent that his parents don’t consider a serious endeavour worth focusing on. As for Bell, she is fun in a role that allows her to once again mix slight menace with her kookiness (there may be better words to use here, I don’t have the coffee or time to find them). Nick Offerman does a decent impression of a typically Dickensian character. And you get a cameo from Pentatonix, the a cappella group who seem to have made Christmas a firm fixture at the heart of their output.

While it has a polish and level of care trying to ensure that it supersedes the many films you get at this time of year from the likes of Hallmark and other companies who deliver annual servings of cosy comfort, Candy Cane Lane is actually on a par with a lot of them. It’s very tame stuff, very predictable, and very disposable. There are some other highlights, including a fun turn from Ken Marino, a couple of TV hosts who have very different styles, and an excellent cameo when we finally see a Santa, but they are not enough to make it worth rewatching. Like a lot of films you can find on almost every channel this month, this is an amusing distraction. Nothing more, nothing less.

6/10

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Christmas In Scotland (2023)

Written by Steve Turner, and directed by David Lumsden (who also helmed a TV movie titles Meet You In Scotland this year), this is a by the numbers Christmas TV movie that works relatively well thanks to the leads. There are problems elsewhere in the cast, but I'll get to them later.

Jill Winternitz plays Emma McKenzie, a talented installation designer who travels with her father (Mike, played by Toby Rolt) from America to a small village in Scotland for a pleasant Christmas vacation. Of course, her busy boyfriend, Brad (Adam Bond), cannot make it along. Which makes things easier for Emma to start enjoying the company of Alex Glenrothie (Dominic Watters) as the two of them end up working together to dress up the village for Christmas, something that the local laird, Duncan Glenrothie (Lewis Howden), has not allowed for a number of years. Can Emma win him over, or will he remain convinced that people have lost their perception of the true meaning of Christmas? And will Emma and Alex get closer, or is a Brad-shaped obstacle guaranteed to keep everything chaste and full of quiet regret?

In line with many other holiday movie viewing choices, with the main twist on the material being the Scotland setting, Christmas In Scotland is a perfectly fine example of this kind of thing. You have a female lead who needs to learn all about the value of small town life, especially when the promise of romance is also in the air, you have a grumpy “grinch” to be won over, and almost every main supporting character welcomes our leads with open arms. There are traditions explained, minor complications that create speed bumps on the road to happiness, and a small child (Caoimhe Fisher) onscreen to be overly sweet and ready to help people find their Christmas joy.

Winternitz and Watters are pretty good in their main roles, and their blossoming connection is believable enough in the arena of the innocent and chaste blossoming romances we always get in these movies. Howden also does a decent job of being the seemingly hard-hearted individual needing to be won over by the festive celebrations. Bond does well enough in portraying his Brad as someone who seems like a typical Brad, and he does a pretty good job as a British actor faking an American accent. The same cannot be said of Rolt, who spends most of his time onscreen horribly overacting while speaking dialogue that have him trying out at least five different accents in each sentence. Jane MacFarlane and Caroline Deyga offer some decent extra support, and there are obviously characters named Morag and Hamish to help ensure that “authentic” Scottish atmosphere throughout.

Pleasant and harmless, unless you account the damage inflicted on the accents tried out by Rolt, Christmas In Scotland is a nice blend of Christmas decor and tartan ribbons. If I can enjoy it, despite bristling at the thought of seeing my fellow Scots selling the stereotypical tourist version of Scottish life (which they do, but not as badly as I have seen in some other TV movies), then I think others will also view it favourably.

6/10

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Mubi Monday: The Golden Glove (2019)

Look, I wanted to keep the Christmas train rolling. I am sure many others wanted me to keep the Christmas train rolling. But Mubi options can be slim sometimes, especially when you're trying to keep things within a certain theme. So here we are. From Christmas cheer and loads of fake snow to a grimy serial killer movie that will make you want to bathe in bleach once you've watched it.

Hamburg in the 1970s doesn't seem like a nice place to be, not if you're going by the squalor and misery depicted in The Golden Glove, a cinematic look at the opportunism and madness of serial killer Fritz Honka (Jonas Dassler). The film is named after the drinking establishment that Honka would frequent, spending time with others looking to drown their sorrows and maybe give one another companionship, and it's where he picked up a number of his victims. Uncomfortable and grimy throughout, this is the kind of film that I would class as both an essential watch, for those who can handle the subject matter, and something that you will never want to revisit, despite the strength of the main performances.

Based on the book by Heinz Strunk, detailing the crimes of Honka, writer-director Fatih Akin (known to me already for the excellent In The Fade) doesn’t waste any time in dragging viewers by the scruff of the neck into an extremely unpleasant and dangerous environment, showing the first fatal assault within the very first scenes of the film. Everyone knows who the dangerous predator is from the beginning, which allows us to feel sympathy for those around him who are oblivious to the awful truth.

With prosthetics used to disfigure his face, Dassler gives a perfect performance in the lead role, showing someone who is both pathetic and full of rage at all times, only able to feel powerful and focused when dealing with someone even more pathetic than himself. There are a number of victims shown, one or two lucky enough to escape, but the most memorable is Gerda, played by Margaret Tiesel. Tiesel is almost as good as Dassler, and her character is so sad and lonely that her potential fate feels all the more upsetting. We see her being used, manipulated, and simply kept around until Honka decides that she can’t do any more for him, but her passive nature and desperate attempt to avoid loneliness stops her from realising how dangerous the situation is.

It’s hard to write more about The Golden Glove without feeling as if you’re going to infect everyone else with the unclean and abrasive nature of the material, but that’s testament to how Akin has presented everything. Almost every interaction between characters is uncomfortable, whether it is Honka after his next victim or younger people who end up drinking in a place they would be best avoiding, and viewers get to watch events unfold in a way that, as is so often the case with the benefit of hindsight, makes it strange to consider how it took so long to catch the killer.

Compelling, disturbing, and brilliant, this is a film I highly recommend to those with the stomach for it. It doesn’t sensationalize things, it doesn’t go too far in how it makes Honka a fully fleshed-out character, and it serves as a reminder of how the more vulnerable and dismissed members of our society so often fall into the hands of exploitative and deadly men.

9/10

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Netflix And Chill: Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023)

With no shade or disrespect intended, it's wild to see the long and winding road that director Mary Lambert's career has taken since hitting a relative high when she helmed a notorious Stephen King adaptation back in 1989. She has since jumped around in a number of different genres and styles, and has recently started to deliver some cheery and cheesy Christmas movies for Netflix. The good news for Christmas movie fans is that she's as good with this material as she is with anything else she could choose to direct.

Best. Christmas. Ever! is a comedy with plenty of heart to it, a standard Christmas movie format, that sees Charlotte Sanders (Heather Graham), her husband, Rob (Jason Biggs), and their young children, Grant (Wyatt Hunt) and Dora (Abby Villasmil), end up at the home of Jackie Jennings (Brandy Norwood) for Christmas. Jackie has the gorgeous Valentino (Matt Cedeño) for a husband, and a young prodigy in the shape of daughter, Beatrix (Madison Skye Validum). Is that a bad thing? It is for Charlotte, who has spent years being irritated by the seemingly perfect family life that Jackie sets out in her annual family newsletter. Maybe she can take this opportunity to see what lies below the surface though, and to prove that all isn't as lovely as it appears to be in the Jennings household. You might already be able to guess how this works out.

Co-written by first-timer Todd Calgi Gallicano and the much more experienced Charles Shyer, this is a fun film that sets up everything you expect to happen in any standard Christmas movie around some enjoyable set-pieces that are elevated by the star power of the cast. And you can stop your sniggering now. They may not be at the top of the Hollywood tree, but this central cast feel a step or two up from the usual assortment of bland and inoffensive people used in so many of these films.

Lambert works well with everyone, and there are times throughout the first half of the film in which things come together with surprisingly effective results. It's still very standard fare, but it feels as if it might be a bit more amusing, and even a bit more risqué, than most. That's only temporary though, and the halfway point turns sharply to drive headlong into much more familiar territory. It's still a bit better than many other festive viewing options though, thanks to the development of the main characters, and the fun performances from the people portraying them.

Graham is the nominal lead, with viewers watching her go on a complete journey from start to finish, and she's used well here. I like Graham in most things, whether or not she's the right person for the role, but she's very comfortable with the particular blend of comedy and drama she has to work with here. Brandy may not be as firmly established as a working actor, but she's really good in her role, allowed to act with a constant air of optimism and joy that works because of her earnestness and warmth. Biggs is decent in support, and Cedeño is used mainly for his handsome looks (but also does well in complementing his onscreen wife with equal amounts of heart and unselfishness). Young Villasmil may not have much to do, but does just fine, and both Hunt and Validum get one or two moments to shine in their respective plot strands, although I am using the words "plot strands" fairly loosely here.

I liked this. Although still constrained by the requirements of the specific kind of movie it is, Best. Christmas. Ever! feels like something that hasn't been made with the same focus on budget and formula than many others that are released around the festive period every year. I won't rush to rewatch it, it's no new holiday classic, but I also wouldn't mind if I was in the same room with someone else putting it on for their first viewing. How's that for a glowing endorsement.

6/10

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Shudder Saturday: It's A Wonderful Knife (2023)

It's a fun premise, and one that many horror fans seemed to warm to as soon as the trailer dropped. What if you made It's A Wonderful Life, but had the lead character fail to realise that her non-existence would leave a killer free to continue a murder spree that she'd managed to stop one whole year ago? That's it. And you would think that was an easy way to have a lot of fun. It turns out that you need a bit more than just that great concept though.

Jane Widdop plays Winnie Carruthers, the young woman who becomes the George Bailey of this movie. Although things have been much better for her family since she dealt with a stab-happy killer the previous Christmas, she doesn't feel that anything has gone her way. Not getting into her chosen university, not having a decent boyfriend, and not even being given a thoughtful main Christmas present from her family. So she decides to wish that she'd never been born, which puts her in a strange and darker version of the town that she grew up in. A killer seems to be building up quite the bodycount, her parents don't know who she is, her brother is dead (because she wasn't there to save him), and people are just having a really bad time of things. Winnie eventually enlists the help of Bernie (Jess McLeod), a young woman ostracised by many of her peers, and she also manages to convince her cool aunt, Gale (Katharine Isabelle), of the reality of her weird circumstances. She cannot get through to her dad (Joel McHale) though, and she cannot convince enough people that the killer may be someone they see almost every single day. Meanwhile, Mayor Henry Waters (Justin Long) is reaping many benefits, and he might not want things to go back to how they were.

Director Tyler MacIntyre has a lot of fans in the horror genre, having helmed both Patchwork and Tragedy Girls in the past decade. While both of those films have flaws, they're also good enough to have marked McIntyre out as someone to keep an eye on. This film, written by Michael Kennedy (who was a co-writer on Freaky), feels like a step back. It's surprisingly unimaginative, far too tame when it comes to the kills, and doesn't feel as if it ever fully realises the potential of the premise. There's no real sense of mystery when it comes to the identity of the killer, the "butterfly effect" of Winnie's non-existence seems to run through a tiresome check-list of the most obvious negatives, and it lacks a sense of fun for most of the runtime (if you're not going to deliver bloody kills then at least make it fun).

It also doesn't help that Widdop feels like a disappointingly weak lead. I've not seen them in anything else, not that I can remember anyway, and I'm sorry to say that they don't have much screen presense, nor do they have the right way of delivering the dialogue when it is supposed to show them being emboldened and badass. McLeod is a lot better in her role, and Isabelle is always welcome onscreen, but nobody can do enough to make up for that notable mis-step in casting. Long tries his best, helped in his performance by capped teeth and mannerisms that make him as funny as he is creepy, but his energy is offset by the far-too-laid-back performance of McHale (hey, I like the guy, he doesn't work here though).

Perhaps part of my disappointment in this stems from my enthusiasm for it. I loved the concept, and the trailer did enough to win me over. I was hoping it would be a new seasonal slasher treat, despite the fact that we're definitely not short on those recently. It wasn't to be though. I hope MacIntyre finds something better for his next project, and I hope Kennedy goes back to co-writing as he hones his craft. And while I wasn't a fan of Widdop here, I am glad to have been introduced to McLeod, who seems to have built up a hefty filmography so far mostly full of shorts and TV work. I look forward to seeing her in more features in the years ahead.

The film may not be wonderful, but I can't dismiss it as awful either. It gets a bonus point for the title alone.

5/10

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While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Another film I had intended to see many years before now, While You Were Sleeping may not be a classic, but I was hoping for an enjoyable rom-com featuring Sandra Bullock being as enjoyable as she so often can be, and that is exactly what I got.

Bullock plays Lucy, a Chicago train ticket booth operator who spends a small part of each day dreaming about the very handsome Peter (Peter Gallagher). When Peter is attacked one day and ends up on the train tracks, Lucy saves his life. He is comatose though, and one misinterpreted moment leads to people thinking that Lucy is Peter’s fiancé. That pleases his family as they pile into the hospital room and gather around his prone form. And it also pleases Lucy, who starts to become part of a family unit in a way that she hasn’t ever really experienced before. But it gets complicated when she starts to develop a strong connection with Peter’s brother, Jack (Bill Pullman).

Written by two people who didn’t seem to write anything else before or after, Daniel G. Sullivan and Fredric LeBow, this is a really enjoyable romantic comedy that is smart enough to sprinkle in one or two plot points to minimise the ickiness of the central premise. Lucy is caught in a brief lie to herself, not intended for others to hear, and the situation spirals from there. She then wants to immediately tell the truth, but a friend of the family (played by Jack Warden) convinces her that having some connection to their comatose son is more beneficial to the family than knowing the truth.

With the smart writing allowing the premise to play out to its full potential, director Jon Turteltaub is able to let the cast develop some very believable chemistry and build a feeling of warmth and fun that leads viewers all the way to the predictable and entertaining finale. This is formulaic stuff (a farce created by a lie, complicated by feelings for someone who cannot know the truth), but it’s an object lesson in how to do it.

It helps that Bullock is so great in the lead role. Although I love her in any guise, she has a great knack of being able to look a bit more harried and “normal” before the moments that allow her to transform and highlight her natural beauty. She also sells both the emotional beats of the film and the comedy, with her ability to do both helping to make all of her films in this sub-genre much better than most. The same goes for Pullman, who is pretty much the male version of Bullock, in terms of how he can slightly adapt his appearance and how he can handle the different elements with equal aplomb. They make a great central pairing, and viewers will start to fret when it looks like the coma patient may be rousing at last. Gallagher doesn’t have as much to do, of course, but plays his part well. The aforementioned Warden is good fun, as are Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns, Micole Mercurio, and Monica Keena as the family who take our leading lady into their lives, and into their hearts (yeah, it’s schmaltzy like that, what do you expect?), and Michael Rispoli provides a number of extra laughs as Joe Jr, a young man who keeps deluding himself that he would be a good match for Lucy.

This has everything you need from this kind of film. There are frantic conversations about the spiraling situation, meaningful looks between two people who cannot be together, one or two pratfalls, a good selection of supporting characters (I will also mention Jason Bernard here, great value for the few scenes he has), a decent enough score from Randy Edelman, and a third act that has, well, I am sure you will already know what it has.

Really enjoyable throughout, this is a great comfort watch that should please all but the most cynical viewers.

8/10

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Kiss Of Death (1995)

Although it doesn't slavishly follow the plot of the original movie, this neo-noir from director Barbet Schroeder does a good job of hitting a number of familiar key points while ensuring that everything feels in line with a slightly grittier and more modern approach to the story. Writer Richard Price did this more than once throughout the 1990s, with varying degrees of success, and his complete body of work illustrates just how good he is at crafting tales of tension, threats, and troubling dilemmas.

David Caruso plays Jimmy Kilmartin, an ex-convict trying to go straight. Unfortunately, he is roped into a job by his wayward cousin (Michael Rapaport), and it isn’t long until things go sour. A cop (Samuel L. Jackson) is nearly killed, Jimmy is caught, and this leads to a spiral and unfortunate fate for his wife (Helen Hunt). Knowing that others are benefiting from him taking the rap, Jimmy is eventually convinced to become an informant, looking to help police get enough evidence to arrest Little Junior Brown (Nicolas Cage).

Kiss Of Death is both helped and hindered by its cast. Cage is a definite highlight, whether he’s bench-pressing a young woman to show off to others around him or getting ready to have some beaten up while listening to House Of Pain. He heads up a brilliant assortment of supporting turns, including the aforementioned Hunt, Rapaport, and Jackson, as well as Stanley Tucci, Ving Rhames, Kathryn Erbe, Anthony Heald, and Philip Baker Hall. Unfortunately, this is another film that should have put anyone aside from Caruso in the lead role. He’s rarely been a good leading man in movies, with his turn in Session 9 being a notable exception, and this film would benefit from almost anyone else being cast in the central role. Sorry, I cannot quite put my finger on the problem, but Caruso just doesn’t emanate any decent amount of charisma or watchability.

Clocking in at almost the same runtime as the original, Price does a good job of moving pieces into place for the finale while also allowing room for a few scenes that just flesh out the characters. Things never feel rushed, yet it never feels too slow or indulgent either. The end result may be far from a perfect film, but all of the ingredients are mixed in perfect amounts. Having Schroeder at the helm seems guaranteed to keep things from excelling, he is a competent pair of hands, but no more than that, so it’s a real bonus that we got this script married up with this cast. There are so many ways this could have gone horribly wrong, and I imagine some big fans of the original will still disapprove, but I am pleasantly surprised that it ended up so enjoyable and effective.

You might be put off by Caruso. You might be put off by Cage (some people still don’t appreciate his brilliance). You might even be put off just by the fact that this is a remake. I would advise you to get over those prejudices and give it a go. You should end up having a good time in the company of some bad people.

7/10

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Prime Time: The 39 Steps (1935)

While I am no major expert on the filmography of Alfred Hitchcock, I have seen most of the well-known titles that make up the latter half of his extensive filmography. I haven’t seen much of his earlier work though, despite owning a fair few of them in a dvd boxset I picked up from a charity shop years ago at a bargain price. The 39 Steps is a film I always forgot about, however, and I am pretty sure that I didn’t even think of it as a Hitchcock film. But it certainly is, and here we are.

Robert Donat plays Richard Hannay, a man who finds himself on the run after being suspiciously present at the scene of a murder. The murder victim was a spy, and she manages to tell Hannay about “the 39 steps” before breathing her last breath. Armed with this phrase, as well as a map featuring some extra information about a possible location of interest, Hannay sets out to solve a mystery that he hopes will save the lives of others and prove his own innocence.

Full of familiar Hitchcockian moments, The 39 Steps is a rip-roaring thriller that races through some great locations and set-pieces en route to a tense and hugely satisfying finale. The script, by Charles Bennett and Ian Hay (adapted from the John Buchan novel), is fun and nicely plotted, maintaining a great sense of momentum while allowing the lead character to interact with a delightful assortment of supporting players.

Donat is a smooth and charming lead, his charisma very necessary for his various encounters with others as he tries to maintain his freedom. He carries the film on his shoulders, and makes it all seem quite effortless. There is, of course, an innocent woman (Pamela) who gets dragged into the whole debacle, believing Hannay to be a guilty man, and she is played by Madeleine Carroll. While viewers know that Pamela isn’t right in her opinion of our hero, her strength and determination are admirable as she attempts to ensure his arrest, and Carroll plays the part with great grace and a little sly humour. Godfrey Tearle plays a key role, and there are enjoyable moments for the likes of Peggy Ashcroft, John Laurie, Helen Haye, and Wylie Watson, as well as one or two others.

Although I wouldn’t put this at the top of any list, whether you’re ranking spy movies, man on the run movies, or just Hitchcock movies, it certainly deserves to be jostling around in the upper levels. There’s a slight coziness to many scenes that undercut the tension, which is an unexpected surprise when you think of the usual Hitchcock style, but that somehow just adds to the appeal here. This isn’t a bleak and cynical cavalcade of peril. It’s a dangerous and thrilling adventure yarn that wants to keep you entertained without making you feel too distressed. I loved it.

9/10

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Whirlpool (1950)

If you ever find yourself in the world of film noir then you should be wary of doctors/therapists who take an interest in you while you are not an official patient on their books. You should also be wary of José Ferrer. I knew that Whirlpool would be a film in which Gene Tierney found herself in trouble when she ended up in conversation with a therapist played by José Ferrer.

Tierney plays Ann Sutton, a woman who is married to one Dr. William Sutton (Richard Conte). Although all appears well on the surface, Ann has at least one big problem. She’s a kleptomaniac, which viewers are shown in the very first scenes of the movie. While in trouble with store detectives and management, Ann ends up spared further embarrassment by David Korvo (Ferrer). Korvo recognises the ailment, and offers to help Ann with his hypnotherapy. Before you know it there’s a dead body, Ann as a main suspect, and Korvo evading suspicion with what seems to be a cast-iron alibi. 

Based on an original work by Guy Endore, Whirlpool is your typical bit of hokum that uses hypnosis as a central plot point for some twists and tension. The script, written by Ben Hecht (prolific and brilliant) and Andrew Solt (less prolific, but with a couple of greats in his catalogue of work), is easier to digest thanks to the perfectly-judged tone and the performances of the leads.

Director Otto Preminger may have a number of superior films to his credit (including at least one featuring one of the cast members featured here), but that doesn’t make this unworthy of your time. It’s wonderfully entertaining throughout, and some of the conversations are both beautifully written and impeccably delivered.

If I ever see Tierney give a performance that I don’t love them I advise people to check that I am still alive. She is one of my favourite stars of yesteryear, and this is another winning turn from her, moving between moments of confidence and moments of paralyzing neuroses and fear. Ferrer is an absolute charmer for most of the runtime, nice enough to make you think he is a villain while also nice enough to make you think he might just be nice. His line delivery, especially during his first extended conversation with Tierney, is like music to my ears, and I periodically chastise myself when I remember that I haven’t seen enough of his movie performances from this period. Conte plays his part as expected, Charles Bickford is perfectly fine as the sympathetic, slightly bemused, individual investigating the murder, and Barbara O’Neil does well enough as a woman who may be pivotal to revealing the murderous face being hidden behind a mask of civility.

It’s a bit silly, and maybe a bit too lightweight for those wanting their noir more gritty and dark, but Whirlpool is also just great entertainment. It’s a star vehicle, and anyone who appreciates the talents of the leads will find plenty to enjoy here. I know I did.

7/10

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Mubi Monday: Streetwalker AKA Trotacalles (1951)

A tale of two women, both separated further apart from one another by their circumstances, Streetwalker is a film I would call a classic morality play, but for the fact that the fate of one character feels unnecessary and thrown in for extra melodrama in a finale that didn’t need it.

Miroslava plays Elena, a woman who has made her way from a hard life to a much easier one, married to the rich Don Faustino Irigoyan (Miguel Ángel Ferriz). That doesn’t stop her from being attracted to, and excited by, the charming and conniving Rodolfo (Ernesto Alonso). Rodolfo also looms large in the life of Maria (Elda Peralta), a woman who is currently working as a prostitute, and someone who knows that Elena was once working right alongside her.

There you have it, a tale of two women who are connected by one dubious man, as well as a shared history that one of them wants to forget. This is labelled as a drama/crime movie in various places, but it felt very much like a classic noir to me. Which made me schedule my viewing of it in Noirvember.

Written by José Aguila and director Matilde Landeta, developing an idea from Luis Spota, Streetwalker is a brilliant blend of dark content and naive optimism, with the latter helping to guide viewers through the third act like a sputtering candle flame that eventually dies out altogether, leaving everyone in a dark and lonely place.

Landeta is celebrated as one of the first female directors from Mexico, and this film shows me that I need to explore more of her filmography. She has an excellent way of handling the material, allowing characters to show a fluid morality that depends on their circumstances and who they have to placate at any one time. There’s some judgement here, but it isn’t the view that you might expect. Indeed, the one character who arguably matches the title of the film most is the one character who seems to be the best of the lot.

Miroslava is very good in her role, a woman ready to plot and scheme her way to another new phase in her life, having tired of the place she has been resting for a while now. Peralta is equally good, and does well in a role that showcases how her character isn’t at all defined by her current employment situation. Alonso is enjoyably slippery and selfish, easy to spot as bad news from his earliest scenes, and Ferriz has a good time portraying someone who seems blissfully ignorant of the plan being set in motion around him. Enedina Díaz de León is also worth mentioning, her character showing the perils of the life that both of our leading ladies want to leave far behind them.

I admit that I was in two minds when I saw this title while debating my next streaming movie choice, but I am glad I went for it. Streetwalker is well worth your time, and I hope to see more movies from everyone involved at some point. Whether I remember the names or not is a different matter, but the good intention is there. And that good intention was created by this film, which I highly recommend to others who have yet to check it out.

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: Cold Pursuit (2019)

It's no surprise to see a film in which Liam Neeson plays someone carving a path of vengeance through the criminal underworld, which is an easy way to summarise the plot of Cold Pursuit, but it's a bit more surprising to see the whole thing played out as a very dark comedy, with Neeson not an unflappable hero looking to showcase a particular set of skills. Remaking his own film, In Order Of Disappearance (written by Kim Fupz Aakeson), director Hans Petter Moland makes good use of his leading man, and seems to enjoy working with a cast of familiar faces who are all ready to be killed off and moved offscreen at any moment.

Neeson plays Nels Coxman, a dependable and quiet family man who has served his local community well for many years in his role as a snowplough driver. His life is upended, however, when his son is found dead, and the cause of death is marked as a heroin overdose. Nels knows that his son was no drug addict, but he doesn't know exactly what circumstances led to his death. Contemplating his own death, things change for Nels when he receives a vital piece of information that leads him from one criminal figure to another, creating a chain of connections that may take him all the way to a confrontation with Trevor 'Viking' Calcote (Tom Bateman).

Although this is another film that comes in at just under two hours (the days of a brisk 90-minute runtime for action movies and/or thrillers seem to be far behind us), Cold Pursuit does a good job of plotting things in a way that remains just about believable, up until the very end, and with time and space to give every character just enough flesh on their bones to make them more than just one of many disposable henchmen, which they could easily have been. Writer Frank Baldwin seems to do a decent job of transposing the action from snowy Norway to a snowy area of Colorado (although I should note that I haven't seen the original movie, which stars Stellan Skarsgård in the main role), and there are plenty of little moments that highlight the vein of comedy running throughout the violence and darkness.

Neeson is very good in the lead role, effectively reworking his typical performance with a hint of uncertainty and a need for good luck being on his side, and he embodies an unstoppable force, even if he's a blundering one, on the way to an unmovable object. Bateman is a lot of fun as the big baddie, ultimately undone by his inability to control the situation without escalating things, which puts his young son (Ryan, played by Nicholas Holmes) in danger, leads to a good number of "staff reductions", and puts him in an unnecessary war with a gang of Native American criminals headed up by White Bull (Tom Jackson, also very good, but much more subdued than everyone around him). Domenick Lombardozzi, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Gus Halper, David O'Hara, and a number of others have fun portraying dangerous men with a variety of amusing nicknames, and there's also room for welcome supporting turns from Laura Dern (Grace Coxman, a woman who ends up grieving without her husband to help her through the process), Julia Jones, William Forsythe, Emmy Rossum, and a few other familiar faces.

I had heard bad things about this when it was first released, which may have been a majority opinion from people already familiar with the original film (and it doesn't feel like a film that NEEDED a remake, other than to cater to the "I don't read movies" crowd), but I had a good time with it. The humour worked, the cast were all generally great (Bateman feels slightly miscast, but his character is so much fun that he still works well enough), and things knit together in a way that feels both satisfying and slightly messy.

7/10

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Shudder Saturday: Nightmare (2023)

Although it remains wise to never judge a book by its cover, Nightmare has such a generic title, and familiar imagery used for promotion, that I suspected it wasn't going to win me over with originality. I was correct. Sadly, it didn't win me over with anything else either. This is a dull slog of a movie, and one that I cannot really recommend to anyone else, despite having some decent production value throughout and one hell of a final scene.

The film revolves around Mona (Eili Harboe), a young woman who seems to be having a lot of trouble sleeping. That coincides with her recent thoughts about having a baby with her boyfriend, Robby (Herman Tømmeraas), and her nightmares tend to feature an evil version of Robby out to terrorise her. Maybe a man named Aksel (Dennis Storhøi) can help her, or maybe he has some agenda of his own that will make Mona a valuable asset to him. 

Written and directed by Kjersti Helen Rasmussen, making her feature debut (which explains the feeling viewers may have of watching something with a half-decent idea at the heart of it unable to fulfil any potential), Nightmare is just sadly disappointing throughout. There are a few good individual moments, particularly in the first third of the film, it's all much better before Aksel becomes a main part of the proceedings, but nothing ever feels as if it is properly flowing together or building momentum.

As for the cast, they do what is asked of them. I can't say any more than that, considering how Harboe, Tømmeraas, and Storhøi all work with the weak script. Nobody is able to improve things, but they don't embarrass themselves either. A few other people appear to fill out supporting roles, but the focus generally stays on our central threesome, with all of them struggling to deal with the sleep issues that Mona is having.

Part of me wants to dismiss this completely, especially when I remember other films that have made better use of similar ideas and imagery, but a small part of me wants to give Rasmussen the benefit of the doubt. There's plenty here to admire, especially in a feature debut, and there's always a feeling of definite authorship, particularly as you sit there stunned while the end credits roll. That's not enough to make up for so many of the flaws though, from the weak dialogue to the dull visual style, from the frustrating actions of the characters to the misguided attempt to complicate what could have been an enjoyably simple little chiller.

Others may find more to like in this one, and I would love to hear from anyone who did, but this is a big miss for me. I'll give Rasmussen another chance, but I hope to never have to sit through this again.

3/10

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Kiss Of Death (1947)

This classic film noir stars Victor Mature as Nick Bianco, a criminal viewers first see being caught red-handed for a robbery that will land him in prison for a fairly lengthy sentence. Tough and ready to take the punishment handed to him, Nick sneers when offered the chance of leniency in exchange for information. That eventually changes, however, when he wants a chance to see his young children. Passing along such valuable information will make him less of a friend to the dangerous Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark), which will put him in great peril if the word ever gets out.

Based on a novel by Eleazar Lipsky, Kiss Of Death is directed well by Henry Hathaway, who is fortunate enough to marry a solid script, written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer, to a pretty perfect cast. It also helps that, despite the 99-minute runtime, this thing seems to move with the speed and momentum of a racecar. It is, like many of the best noirs, a journey towards an inevitable final destination, but it's brilliantly paced, moving between some very different relationships between some of the main characters and a number of dark and deadly criminal acts.

Hathaway is also fortunate enough to get a brilliant feature debut performance from Widmark, who steals the show as the grinning and unhinged Udo, a character who emanates real menace while smiling at everyone around him. Easily up there alongside any of his future performances, and that is really saying something, Widmark portrays someone I would seriously consider as one of the most memorable villains in the history of film noir. Thankfully, the rest of the cast do well enough in their roles to avoid being completely overshadowed, with Mature excelling in his stoic turn, all too ready to spit in the eye of the authorities until he realises just how much he has to lose. There’s also Brian Donlevy being great as the Assistant D.A. who can offer some glimmer of hope to our lead, and Coleen Gray offers hope of a different kind, even if she seems a bit too sweet and naive in her very first scene (although it soon becomes clear that she knows exactly what situation she might be getting herself into, and her positivity might help to improve the situation for everyone she cares about).

There’s not a lot else for me to say about this film. I loved it, and I was thoroughly impressed by the presence of Widmark, yet equally impressed by those around him not being any less watchable (albeit in very different ways). There are a few different moments here that feel like classic noir key texts, with a major incident at about the halfway mark that is both darkly comedic and also genuinely distressing, and the cast are giving it their all in every scene.

Remade a couple of times, most notably with Nic Cage in a prominent role in the 1990s (more on that very soon), Kiss Of Death is a superbly entertaining character study of a man looking to change his fortunes at the risk of crossing a man even more entrenched in his life of criminality. I was tense, I was captivated, and I was kicking myself for not having seen this before today.

9/10

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Dark Passage (1947)

This is much more like it. As much as I enjoyed them, I had inadvertently spent the past couple of days watching some film noirs that felt decidedly lighter than other films in that style. Dark Passage feels like it has everything you could want from a classic noir. A majorly flawed, perhaps truly dangerous, lead. At least one potential femme fatale. Supporting characters looking to profit from a bad situation. And Bogart and Bacall guaranteeing at least one or two moments that show a marked rise in temperature.

Based on a novel by David Goodis, this is written and directed by Delmer Daves, a solid director with a number of treats tucked away in his filmography (including this very title). It starts with a man escaping from prison, seeming to be undone by bad luck before a beautiful woman (Irene Jansen, played by Lauren Bacall) helps him reach somewhere he might be able to safely shelter for a while. The man, although unseen for most of the first half of the movie, is Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart), and he was in prison for the crime of murdering his wife. He claims that he's innocent though, but to stay out of prison he's going to have to go to some extreme lengths, including having his face changed (which explains the decision made to show the first half of the movie from his POV). But a different face is only worth a damn if nobody else is keeping a close eye on Vincent's movements. 

This is excellent stuff throughout, thanks to a lovely script, excellent cast, and the fact that viewers are pretty sure from the earliest scenes that they are really watching an innocent man growing increasingly desperate as he starts to look more guilty. The first half of the film may irritate some people, it’s a bit gimmicky, although it makes sense when we get to the midway point, but it is probably the best way to let things unfold without using any other tactic that could take you out of the movie completely. It helps that Bogart is our guide, that iconic line delivery helping us know where this will all be leading eventually.

While this isn’t the best work delivered by either star, both Bogart and Bacall are as good as expected in the lead roles. They always have brilliant onscreen chemistry, even when one of them isn’t visible onscreen, and both feel capable of handling their turbulent journey towards what they hope could be a happy ending. Agnes Moorehead is enjoyable in a supporting role, perhaps with a key to our lead’s proof of innocence, and Clifton Young plays someone who is set to really throw a big spanner in the works when he figures out how he could earn himself an easy payday. Bruce Bennett also has a small role, although he doesn’t get to do much, and Tom D’Andrea and Houseley Stevenson get to steal a couple of scenes as, respectively, a cabbie and a doctor who could turn out to be life-changing allies.

Although not a title I had heard mentioned in too many conversations about the classic film noirs, Dark Passage certainly already has enough fans that will be rolling their eyes and wondering what took me so long. There are one or two scenes that already felt familiar to me, due to them influencing other works (I would assume Spielberg is a fan, considering a certain sci-if title he made that feels indebted to this at times . . . or maybe that is just me), and I will happily rewatch this any time. In fact, I suspect I may enjoy my second watch a bit more as I settle into it while knowing what to look out for as the plot starts to unfold. Superb stuff.

9/10

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Prime Time: Nightmare (1956)

I didn’t mean to watch two film noirs in a row that star Kevin McCarthy, but here we are. It isn’t a problem though, largely because of how much I love Kevin McCarthy, and it helps that he gets to share the lead duties with Edward G. Robinson in this twisty tale.

McCarthy plays Stan Grayson, a musician who has just experienced a very vivid nightmare in which he killed a man. The problem that Stan has is that he isn’t sure it was just a dream. Although he hasn’t experienced any overwhelming urge to kill someone, Stan starts to realise that certain details are pointing towards him having actually committed murder. Fortunately, his brother-in-law (Rene, played by Robinson) is also a police officer, and the two start trying to figure out if any crime has occurred, and how it happened.

Directed by Maxwell Shane, who also adapted the Cornell Woolrich novel into screenplay form (for a second time, having turned it into Fear In The Night about ten years before this), Nightmare is a fun little thriller that feels like some great feature-length TV show episode. There’s no big spectacle, and viewers are welcomed in at the very start with the lure of a mystery due to be solved, but the script is fun, and the cast do well to ensure that it’s never a slog.

McCarthy is constantly nervous and tense, a man struggling to believe the unbelievable as evidence around him starts to mount up. Robinson is a good contrast, confident and curious about where the journey will take them, but always having faith that there is a strange truth to be discovered . . . even if that truth is the guilt of his brother-in-law. Virginia Christine and Connie Russell are the two main women alongside the male leads, although they’re not given too much to do, and Gage Clark comes along just in time to kickstart the chain of events leading to a revelatory finale.

I enjoyed Nightmare, but it doesn’t do enough to save it from feeling just a bit too slight. It’s fun, and thrilling, but far from the best of film noir from this era. McCarthy and Robinson ensure it is always watchable though, and any fans of those actors should give 90 minutes of their time to checking this out. You’ll probably never rewatch it, but viewing it once is recommended. Just.

6/10

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Drive A Crooked Road (1954)

Although a fairly lightweight film noir (which viewers may already suspect is the case when they see Mickey Rooney in a lead role), Drive A Crooked Road is an enjoyable, if predictable, bit of entertainment that benefits from a couple of the main performances being much better than I expected.

Rooney plays Eddie Shannon, a car mechanic/occasional racer who spends a lot of his workday being ribbed by his workmates about his lack of experience with women. That looks set to change when he meets Barbara (Dianne Foster), who seems to take a real liking to him. Barbara then introduces Eddie to one or two others (including Steve, played by Kevin McCarthy) and it isn’t long until Eddie is being invited to assist with a criminal plan that will rely on his outstanding driving skills. 

While it isn’t a big surprise to see that this was directed by Richard Quine (a dependable helmer with a few gems in his filmography), it is slightly more unexpected to see that Quine worked on the screenplay with Blake Edwards, adapting a story by James Benson Nablo. It is also unexpected to realise that the screenplay isn’t very good. This is a film that works because of the main characters, not because of any great plotting or snappy dialogue. I enjoyed it, but it isn’t a classic noir I would rush to recommend to others.

Rooney is fun in his role, a sweet sap you just know is going to be manipulated by those around him. He still feels more like Rooney than a fully-developed character though (a style that suited him well throughout most of his career). Foster does well in the lone central female role, believable as a potential femme fatale or as someone just as manipulated as Eddie, depending on how you view the journey of her character. But it’s McCarthy who lifts the movie, entering the action like a breath of fresh air, believably persuasive and charming before showing himself as equally believable when threatening or mistreating those who try to go against him.

While the runtime is a shade over 80 minutes, I expected this to be even shorter. It’s barely a film, often feeling more like a 4-page comic book storyline, but there’s enough to enjoy for those who aren’t looking for any kind of gold-plated classic. I had fun with it, largely due to the performance of McCarthy, and I suspect other film fans will get some enjoyment from it, even if it’s more disposable and forgettable than many other crime films from the period.

6/10

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Mubi Monday: The History Of The Pink Trunk (2005)

Although there’s a mystery at the heart of this, and it isn’t just the mystery of how it actually got made, The History Of The Pink Trunk ends up not being about that central mystery. Not really. I mean . . . it IS, but it equally isn’t. I don’t want to namecheck anyone that would lead to unfair comparisons, but this will start to feel familiar to those who have enjoyed other murder mysteries in which the focus has often wandered to peripheral characters and their developing relationships while caught in the spiderweb of mystery.

Edgardo Román plays Detective Corzo, a man tasked with figuring out what happened when the body of a young girl is found in a pink trunk. He finds his work hampered by a busy journalist, Hipólita Mosquera (Diego Vélez), but also starts to enjoy the company of the lovely Martina (Dolores Heredia).

I am not familiar with the filmography of director Libia Stella Gómez, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Federico Durán, and I am not entirely sure if I want to see more from them after checking this out. Hampered by a low budget and an inconsistent cast, Gómez still tries hard to fill the movie with neo-noir style and tropes, playing around with the latter on the way to the final scenes, but cannot quite deliver what the material really needs.

Román is okay in his role, but he is the least interesting of the central trio. While Vélez plays someone a lot less likeable, he is eminently watchable, cocky and brazen enough to assume he can write articles that will at least keep the police on their toes. Heredia is the highlight though, a female character who does what she can to keep those around her thinking of their responsibility and the power afforded to them. Heredia gets to be sweet and strong, and the film works best when you get to see her character have a positive effect on the men in her orbit.

I struggled to get into this, with the first third of the movie feeling like a real chore, but then I started to settle into it. I started to realise how the main characters were being positioned and where more friction was starting to develop, and I stopped being so bothered about whether or not the central mystery would be solved. I don’t think I will ever revisit it, and I wouldn’t rush to recommend it to others, but I did enjoy the second half a lot more than the opening. 

World cinema fans will appreciate this more than most, but it’s not a film that should ever be prioritised against the many others that are probably always jostling around the top half of any “to watch” list.

4/10

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Netflix And Chill: No Panic, With A Hint Of Hysteria (2016)

A bizarre comedy noir that feels like something that could have worked in better hands, No Panic, With A Hint Of Hysteria is one of the many titles in the filmography of Polish writer-director Tomasz Szafranski. Having started his career in his early twenties, Szafranski has been working in film and TV now for just over two full decades. I don't know if his other work tends to be better than this, but I'm certainly not enthused to be exploring more of his work after getting through this one.

Alexander Chance plays Toby, an accountant who is trying to move into the more lucrative role of hitman. He is being mentored by Fakir (Toasz Karolak), but isn't really showing himself as a natural fit for the job. A disastrous convergence of unfortunate events lead to Toby and his wife (Melanie, played by Charlotte Kirk) trying to dispose of a corpse, dealing with someone Toby quite rightly assumed was already dead, and placating various dangerous characters while avoiding too much attention from the police.

Set up as a classic farce, and low-key enough for most of the runtime to feel as if it's been adapted from a stage play, No Panic, With A Hint Of Hysteria feels overdone, mishandled, decades too late, and (ironically enough) just poorly executed in almost every way. Szafranski clearly knew what he wanted to deliver, but he ties one hand behind his back from the very start by assembling such a weak cast.

Chance is arguably the biggest weakness, considering his character is the focus of pretty much every scene. It's a role that requires someone who can perform with the required comedy skills, appeal, and physical prowess, and Chance appears to have none of those things. Having him acting alongside Charlotte Kirk doesn't help, her being a performer yet to show any talent worthy of some of the roles she has managed to bag, and watching her and Chance interact is the cinematic equivalent of a fish trying to ride a bicycle. It's unnatural, and it just doesn't work. Karolak only has a few scenes, Stephen Baldwin has a central role (and tries hard, but is hampered by the material . . . and by being more affordable and available than Alec for a reason), and other people have to spend time looking mean or dopey while Szafranski continues to move the pieces into place for the finale. Magdalena Lamparska is a highlight as Kamila, we'll call her The Woman In Red, but she's sidelined almost immediately after making a strong impression in her very first scenes.

The convoluted plotting doesn't give you anything to care about, the comedy doesn't work, and the cast give nothing. The visual style throughout is admittedly decent (shout out to cinematographer Michael Grabowski and the others who helped maintain the specific palette), with muted colours and framing emphasising the noir over the comedy, but that's a very minor saving grace in a film far too overstuffed with mis-steps and major failings, including a poor score from Luke Corradine. No need to panic though, this is one easily avoided. I just happened to find it buried on Netflix, and I should have left it buried. Considering one of the main plot points, the irony is not lost on me.

2/10

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Shudder Saturday: The Tank (2023)

Written and directed by Scott Walker, The Tank is a film that many may already be wary of, considering the fact that Walker's previous movie, his first feature, was The Frozen Ground (a serial killer movie starring John Cusack and Nic Cage, and a film I have often heard maligned, although I have yet to see it for myself). If you ARE already wary of it then you might just want to avoud it, which would save you from becoming as exasperated and angry as I did.

Matthew Whelan and Luciane Buchanan are Ben and Jules, a couple who have inherited an abandoned coastal property from Ben's side of the family. So they head along there, daughter Reia (Zara Nausbaum) in tow, and start trying to turn the house into a home. Unfortunately, there's a large underground water tank on the property that has housed a large and dangerous creature for some time. When the creature gets out, people start to die . . . and it takes Ben and Jules far too long to figure out what is really going on.

There may be some people who like this, and one or two people who even love it, but I cannot wrap my brain around that concept. The Tank is boring, it's illogical and unbelievable, and it feels lazy and full of moments that were done better in other horror movies. Walker may disagree with that, and we can assume that he tried his best to craft what he thought would be a fun and thrilling creature feature, but that is how the end product plays out.

It doesn't help that the central cast aren't that engaging either. I liked Buchanan the most, and she has more of a watchability factor than anyone else onscreen, but Whelan is just too bland, and Nausbaum isn't given that much to do, with the exception of times when she is placed in immediate danger. There are some other people who appear onscreen, but they are only there to become potential victims of the creature, we don't get to know too much about them, meaning we subsequently don't care enough when they find themselves looking at a strange set of very sharp incisors. 

It's worth mentioning again, however, that the entirety of a film can be overshadowed by a negative opinion formed in the earlier scenes. Others who give this a go may be more forgiving, or may still be able to find elements that they like as they criticise other aspectes of it. I found almost nothing to enjoy here. I didn't care for the main characters, I hated the developing backstory (it just felt too stupid, especially when it is revealed by that well-wron troped of everything being conveniently written down for others to find), I thought the creature design was as derivative and lazy as any other part of the movie, and a number of scenes seemed extra dark and disorientating in an attempt to avoid showcasing the main beastie.

On the plus side, I saw the imagery for this and thought it might be another horrible attempt to cash in on that horrible story of what happened to Elisa Lam and the Cecil Hotel, so I will be kind to it for it not being anything to do with that. Please just bear in mind that my rating here is a kind one, and anyone else who watches this and ends up agreeing with me cannot say that they weren't warned.

3/10

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Narrow Margin (1990)

An enjoyable remake of the 1952 film, Narrow Margin is a well-made neo-noir that benefits from having Gene Hackman being his usual brilliant self in the lead role that makes good use of his formidable talent. He is L.A. District Attorney Robert Caulfield, a man who ends up escorting a woman named Hunnicut (Anne Archer) on a dangerous cross-country train ride to get her to stand as a witness against the powerful Leo Watts (Harris Yulin).

Directed by the dependable Peter Hyams, who also wrote the script adapting the earlier movie into this updated take, this is a film full of shifting surroundings and constant momentum, not just due to most of it taking place on a train. Caulfield only knows one or two people he can fully trust, while Hunnicut isn’t always entirely sure about why she should place her faith in him. Anyone around our two leads could be a killer, and Watts may not be onscreen for much of the runtime, but there’s a large shadow cast over everything as we see how seemingly infinite his reach and resources are.

Although this follows the template of the original film fairly closely, there are some tweaks that help to make it a slightly more enjoyable experience. The various identity reveals are well-placed, whether they are proving someone is bad or ultimately good, and there are a few decent action moments that allow Hackman to back up his promise of doing whatever it takes to get the woman in his care safely to a more secure environment.

Hackman is the reason this works as well as it does, and Hyams was surely thankful to bag him for the lead role. He may not be the typical choice for this kind of role, but he’s undeniably trustworthy, determined, and charismatic. I wish I could say the same for Archer, who feels sadly all-too-replaceable in her key role. Susan Hogan does much better though, playing a train passenger who takes more than a passing interest in Hackman’s character. Yulin does well with his minutes of screentime, there are small roles for both M. Emmet Walsh and J. T. Walsh, and James Sikking, Nigel Bennett, B. A. “Smitty” Smith, and J. A. Preston help to round out a supporting cast of surprisingly compelling characters.

Although it has a layer of polish that lessens the feeling of real danger and darkness, Narrow Margin still manages to ratchet up the tension on the way to a final act that proves to be enormously satisfying. If you like even some of the names I have listed here, and especially if you like Hackman, then this is a fun film to give your time to on an evening when you want something comfortingly assured.

8/10

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The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Although it can be daunting to have an ever-growing “to watch” list, with every main movie title reminding me of at least three or four other movies I have still to get around to, I love any time when the film conversation flows around certain genres or topics in a way that leads to me being encouraged to check out something considered a classic by many. And that is how I came to belatedly watching The Asphalt Jungle recently.

It’s a simple tale. A group of people are put together to commit a robbery, but the job is endangered by the potential for misfortune and treachery. People start to suffer, but the moral core of the film means that viewers will be expecting a downbeat finale from the very opening scenes.

Based on a novel by W. R. Burnett, this is a screenplay co-written by Ben Maddow and director John Huston that nicely blends the prep and execution of the crime with moments showing us some more background of some of the key players. Huston keeps things paced perfectly, and benefits from an excellent cast.

Sterling Hayden is the nominal lead, Dix Handley, and he tries hard to keep a cool head, even as others start to panic. Sam Jaffe is the man with the expertise required to pull off the robbery, allowing himself to trust in the men who make up the brawn surrounding his brain. James Whitmore and Anthony Caruso play Gus and Ciavelli, respectively, the other two men making up the core team. Everyone does good work, but Hayden and Jaffe stand out, helped by the fact that we get to spend a bit more time with their characters. There’s also a great selection of supporting players, allowing us to enjoy great performances from Louis Calhern and Jean Hagen, the former as slippery and untrustworthy as the latter is sweet and dependable. I could reel off many other names, each deserving a mention for their part in making this a consistently gripping tale, but you should just see them all for yourself. Oh, and Marilyn Monroe shines in one main scene (the merest hint of what was to come with her star ascending).

It goes without saying that Huston is a great director for this material, and those familiar with any of his films will know what to expect here. The Asphalt Jungle shows a number of people who end up stuck between a rock and a hard place, some holding on to their own moral code while others are willing to make bigger sacrifices if it gets them an escape route, and it may well have you rooting for one or two people that you wouldn’t normally root for. 

A classic, but most people know that already.

9/10

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