Scarlet Street (1945) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 3, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Similar to Woman in the Window, this film-noir was directed by Fritz Lang and it stars Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, and Dan Duryea. Chris Cross is a shy employee who has been working for the same man 25 years. While walking home Chris rescues a beautiful woman from an assailant, not knowing it is her brutish boyfriend. Amused Kitty agrees to have coffee and Chris who is an amateur artist, begins talking art, but Kitty gets the idea he is a wealthy painter. Because Chris is stuck in a hopeless marriage he becomes infatuated with kitty and she takes full advantage. Chris scrounges for money to pay Kitty’s rent and unbeknownst to him, Kitty’s boyfriend tries to sell the artist’s work. A critic is impressed and so Kitty masquerades as the artist. Chris finds out eventually and confronts her but the conniving femme fatale manipulates him again. Chris is delighted his work is appreciated and he is content with Kitty continuing to take the credit. An unexpected turn of events mean he can leave his wife and marry Kitty finally. However, he finds her with Johnny and after his genuine proposal she belittles him.An enraged Chris commits murder but it is pinned on Johnny. A miserable wanders the streets without a job or recognition for his art. Furthermore, he must live with his guilty conscience tormenting him until the end of his days. Woman in the Window is good but this film is more biting and powerful when it is all said and done.

4/5 Stars

The Woman in the Window (1944) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett, this film-noir involves an ordinary psychology professor and a beautiful woman. The story begins at the club where the professor and his friends begin to discuss an enchanting portrait of a woman in a store window. He stays behind for a while longer and before he leaves he takes one last look at the painting. And there he meets the woman herself who then invites him over for a drink. However, her angry boyfriend comes by and he is left dead after a scuffle. Now the two perpetrators must cover up their murder and dispose of the body. That task goes to the professor and he naively dumps it out in the country leaving behind numerous clues. One of the professor’s friends is the district attorney and so he finds himself invited back to the scene of the crime. The professor is not suspected but the woman is blackmailed by a low life ex-cop who threatens to expose them if he doesn’t get his money. Much to the woman’s relief the blackmailer is killed but it comes too late for the professor. Or does it? This noir directed by Fritz Lang focuses on a mysterious woman and psychology. It also has one of the most abrupt, out of the blue endings. Every movie should not be resolved this way but I rather liked it one time around.

4/5 Stars

The Big Heat (1953) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

*Contains Spoilers

Starring Glen Ford, Gloria Grahame, and Lee Marvin, with direction by Fritz Lang, the film follows an everyday cop named Dave Bannion (Ford). This film-noir begins with a mysterious suicide of a cop. Soon Bannion is on the case trying to put the facts together and then everything heats up. First, a young woman he talked with is found beaten to death, then his wife is brutally killed by a car bomb. Enraged by the death of his loved one, Bannion obsessively seeks justice. Everything becomes clear when he comes to the realization that one man controls the town through his influence and strong-armed tactics. With his badge taken away, Bannion meets Grahame’s character and she falls for him. However, her thug boyfriend (Marvin) scalds her face and so she becomes determined to help Bannion and she even commits murder. Fatally wounded by the thug, she dies but her actions close the case and bring along justice. Fittingly Bannion is promoted to sergeant by the end of the film and starts on a new case.

4.5/5 Stars

The Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, this film has memorable dialogue and chilling performances. Curtis is Sydney Falco, a greedy and conniving press agent who is constantly trying to get on the good side of influential people. His main target is the renowned if not ruthless gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster). Falco bargains for publicity he desperately needs in exchange fro breaking up the romance of Hunsecker’s kid sister. The plan seems to work just as Falco foresaw, however a heated confrontation leads to Hunsecker seeking revenge on his sister’s boyfriend. Ruthlessly he has the man framed with the help of a reluctant Falco. Finally, Falco has had enough but Hunsecker turns on him too in order to protect his image and his sister. As the film closes, Hunsecker’s almost suicidal sister leaves to go back to her boyfriend and he is all alone. Lancaster and Curtis both give performances that brim with corruption and sleaze. The score and the New York atmosphere also help to bring the film alive.

4.5/5 Stars

Mildred Pierce (1945) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Joan Crawford, this classic film noir is intriguing because it revolves around a successful woman. The film begins with a murder and Pierce is taken in for questioning. From that point on she tells the story of her life with her first husband and two daughters. However, Pierce was in conflict with her husband about their spoiled daughter Veda and they split. She was forced to go it alone in the business world and make something of herself. However, her spoiled daughter and complex relationships with men made her life painful. She was now a wealthy restaurant owner but Veda no longer loved her. Pierce tried in every way to win back this love However, her efforts were not enough to save Veda from her fate. This film is certainly enjoyable and Crawford does a wonderful job because for once you actually feel sorry for her. She has a solid cast behind her including Ann Blyth, Eve Arden, and Jack Carson.

4.5/5 Stars

The Killers (1946) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Burt Lancaster in his debut as well as Ava Garner, the film begins with two gunmen killing “The Swede” (Lancaster) in a small town. Interested in the mystery, an insurance investigator named Reardon (Edmund O’Brien) tries to piece together the past of the dead man. He works to gather more information and talks to “The Swede’s” former friend as well as a hotel worker, and a past cell mate. Through a series of flashbacks Reardon slowly strings together the past including “The Swede’s” boxing career, his time in prison, and especially an alluring woman, Kitty Collins (Gardner).In the climatic scene Reardon finally meets the beautiful Kitty. Only after a series of events and her quick getaway does he grasp the whole truth. Kitty was a deadly double crosser. However, in a cruel twist her partner in crime is killed and her fate is sealed. This is an exciting film noir with solid acting and a great style of storytelling. This was my first experience with director Robert Siomak, and I must say I was quite impressed.

4.5/5 Stars

Sunset Boulevard (1950) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 1, 2013 by 4 Star Films

This is a great film-noir but more importantly it serves as a biting picture of the Hollywood lifestyle . Billy Wilder created a very interesting film that is well worth watching. It puts a very contrasting pair together and delivers the tale with a exceptional style of storytelling.

*May Contain Spoilers

In this film starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson (real-life silent film star) a down-on-his-luck writer, strictly by chance, finds himself living with a forgotten film actress. From the very beginning he finds her eccentric and her mansion chilling. All the same he agrees to live there in order to edit her movie script and earn some much needed money. Soon she grows accustomed and dependent on him since her only other companion is a butler. Hoping to make a comeback she goes to director Cecil B. Demille but it becomes evident to those around her that things will not work out. At the same time the young writer begins to distance himself as he begins to fall for a young woman writer he has been working for. In a chilling ending someone dies and another goes seemingly mad because the tension has grown too great. This film is very well done from the flashback and narration at the beginning to its critique of Hollywood and the parallelism with real events.

5/5 Stars

Touch of Evil (1958) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 1, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Welles, this film is one of the last examples of what is considered true film-noir. In a small, dangerous, run down, border town, a mysterious car bombing murder takes place. A Mexican investigator who is a newlywed (Heston) and a hardened American policeman (Welles) join forces on the case. However, soon the case becomes complicated with corruption, kidnapping, and plotting. With his wife in danger, Heston must save her while trying to crack the mystery. Only after some time does he realize the man with the touch of evil. The protagonist wins but that does not mean there is not tragedy as well. Orson Welles does it again with this intriguing film. The opening shot alone shows the brilliance of Welles. This film is one worth seeing, showcasing director Welles and good acting by the entire cast.

4.5/5 Stars

42 (2013)

Posted on June 27, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford, this biopic chronicles the life of Jackie Robinson, the extraordinary man and athlete who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947.

The film opens and Robinson is playing for the all-black Kansas City Monarchs because the big leagues are still segregated and prejudice still reigns supreme. However, Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers has ideas of his own. He sends a scout to offer Robinson a contract that Robinson accepts and he finds himself with the Montreal Dodgers. After the good news Robinson proposes to his girlfriend Rachel and they get married soon after. The two of them head down to spring training, and with the help of a black journalist Wendell Smith, Robinson begins to settle in.

Despite being the only black man on an all-white squad, his athletic ability and speed lead to a successful season. Although there is some initial backlash it seems like Rickey’s “noble experiment” might be working. The next spring training in Panama opens and the real trouble begins. The Dodger squad signs a petition vowing not to play with a black man. Then, to add insult to injury Leo Durocher is prohibited from managing.

It is a rough start to Robinson’s career in the big leagues, and soon it becomes obvious that this is just the beginning. Discrimination is rampant. Robinson is taunted, beaned, spiked, and threatened with death. But in agreement with Rickey, Robinson vows not to fight back. Instead, he beats his adversary on the field. This mindset, along with the support of his wife, and several teammates, lead Jackie to success. He took home the Rookie of the Year and the Dodgers, in turn, won the pennant.

Fittingly, the film closes with postscripts that describe number 42’s impact on the game. It seems that some have said that from a film standpoint it is unexciting or unremarkable storytelling and that well night might be true, but with a story as good and important as this, I don’t think it matters that much. Fans, including me don’t care. This film is meaningful, because although I knew a lot about Robinson’s life, I never really thought about people like Ralph Branca or Ben Chapman in this light. They are more than just statistics in a baseball almanac. They were men who played a part in this story, whether good or bad. I have always considered Jackie Robinson one of my greatest heroes, not only because I am a Dodger fan but because he was a remarkable man and this movie simply reinforced that notion. Here’s to you number 42.

3.5/5 Stars

Separate Tables (1958)

Posted on June 25, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, David Niven, and Wendy Hiller, the films follows the evens at an Inn in England. This relatively simply film is less about plot and more about the interactions between people. Lancaster is a troubled man who is trying to forget his past marriage. Hayworth is the attractive wife he left who has her own insecurities, Kerr is the timid daughter who always obeys her mum, and she takes a fancy for the Major. Niven is the Major, a seemingly kind older gentleman with a less desirable side. Add a few more guests and Wendy Hiller as the sensible owner of the inn and you have this movie. What first begins as separated tables eventually evolves into something else entirely.