SAMTHEBESTEST
Joined Feb 2014
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SAMTHEBESTEST's rating
Reviews2.8K
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Impact (1949) :
Brief Review -
An intriguing extension to "Double Indemnity" (1944), but too extended. Billy Wilder's classic "Double Indemnity" will always remain my favorite movie made on that subject. There are many other films with the same theme of a wife trying to kill or killing her husband with the help of her lover, but none come close to Wilder's timeless noir. "Impact" is another attempt at the same story but works like an extended version. A rich husband loves his wife, but she plans to murder him with her lover's assistance. Instead of her husband, the lover gets killed accidentally, and the husband is living a new life somewhere else while she is arrested on suspicion of her husband's murder. It's more like "Double Indemnity" if the husband had survived the attack. The husband finds a new girl and decides to leave her and, of course, his wife is rotting in jail, but he is persuaded by his new girlfriend to return to the police and clean up the mess so they can start a new life. However, the tables turn when his wife accuses him of murdering her boyfriend, and the jury even listens to her. Here, the film began to lose its grip on me as I couldn't digest the overdose of femme fatale and the law aiding her. What wrong did the man do, after all? Well, it doesn't stick to that and moves ahead with a quick climax and a happy ending to give you what you wanted to see. However, the impact of the climax is not as strong as it was in those first 70 minutes. Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, and Helen Walker all did fine jobs here in keeping the film interesting, mainly because the screenplay and characters are crafted in such a manner. Arthur Lubin's gripping storytelling immerses you completely in the narrative. It's just that the climax was underwhelming compared to the solid showing earlier.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
An intriguing extension to "Double Indemnity" (1944), but too extended. Billy Wilder's classic "Double Indemnity" will always remain my favorite movie made on that subject. There are many other films with the same theme of a wife trying to kill or killing her husband with the help of her lover, but none come close to Wilder's timeless noir. "Impact" is another attempt at the same story but works like an extended version. A rich husband loves his wife, but she plans to murder him with her lover's assistance. Instead of her husband, the lover gets killed accidentally, and the husband is living a new life somewhere else while she is arrested on suspicion of her husband's murder. It's more like "Double Indemnity" if the husband had survived the attack. The husband finds a new girl and decides to leave her and, of course, his wife is rotting in jail, but he is persuaded by his new girlfriend to return to the police and clean up the mess so they can start a new life. However, the tables turn when his wife accuses him of murdering her boyfriend, and the jury even listens to her. Here, the film began to lose its grip on me as I couldn't digest the overdose of femme fatale and the law aiding her. What wrong did the man do, after all? Well, it doesn't stick to that and moves ahead with a quick climax and a happy ending to give you what you wanted to see. However, the impact of the climax is not as strong as it was in those first 70 minutes. Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, and Helen Walker all did fine jobs here in keeping the film interesting, mainly because the screenplay and characters are crafted in such a manner. Arthur Lubin's gripping storytelling immerses you completely in the narrative. It's just that the climax was underwhelming compared to the solid showing earlier.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
New York Confidential (1951) :
Brief Review -
Russell Rouse's remarkable craftsmanship delivers one of the most gripping crime noirs of the decade. "New York Confidential" predates the hype surrounding 70s and 90s crime noirs, so keep that in mind. The film revolves around a crime syndicate led by Lupo and his associates, who have established specific rules. Nick, an utterly honest hit man, is hired by Lupo. Adding some glamour, we have Lupo's daughter, Kathy, and his girlfriend, Iris. To appear more glamorous and alluring, the script depicts Nick as a middle-aged man who attracts both the younger Kathy and the older Iris. He denies both because he has learned one crucial lesson in the racket: "Stay within your boundaries." Lupo finds himself in a predicament when one of the jobs goes wrong and his men are about to testify against him. The syndicate members anonymously vote against Lupo and ask him to take the fall for murder two. His daughter has severed ties and no longer wants to see him. Nick tries everything, but even he must adhere to the syndicate's codes. Ultimately, Lupo decides to sing, instilling fear within the entire syndicate. Will they be able to stop Lupo? The story concludes with the "circle of life" formula, and you'll recognize the title by the end. The film is packed with some terrific dialogue and an engaging screenplay that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The characters are substantial, subtle, and captivating. Richard Conte as Nick is exceptional, and as mentioned earlier, his character is the most substantial. Broderick Crawford delivers another solid performance in the film, presenting yet another compelling character. Not just these two, but every character in the film serves as a case study on how to create characters, their situations, and their involvement in each other's lives. It is remarkable how the writers managed this so well (credit to the original novel too) and how smoothly and effectively Russell Rouse executed it. Simply outstanding, man. Don't miss it.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Russell Rouse's remarkable craftsmanship delivers one of the most gripping crime noirs of the decade. "New York Confidential" predates the hype surrounding 70s and 90s crime noirs, so keep that in mind. The film revolves around a crime syndicate led by Lupo and his associates, who have established specific rules. Nick, an utterly honest hit man, is hired by Lupo. Adding some glamour, we have Lupo's daughter, Kathy, and his girlfriend, Iris. To appear more glamorous and alluring, the script depicts Nick as a middle-aged man who attracts both the younger Kathy and the older Iris. He denies both because he has learned one crucial lesson in the racket: "Stay within your boundaries." Lupo finds himself in a predicament when one of the jobs goes wrong and his men are about to testify against him. The syndicate members anonymously vote against Lupo and ask him to take the fall for murder two. His daughter has severed ties and no longer wants to see him. Nick tries everything, but even he must adhere to the syndicate's codes. Ultimately, Lupo decides to sing, instilling fear within the entire syndicate. Will they be able to stop Lupo? The story concludes with the "circle of life" formula, and you'll recognize the title by the end. The film is packed with some terrific dialogue and an engaging screenplay that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The characters are substantial, subtle, and captivating. Richard Conte as Nick is exceptional, and as mentioned earlier, his character is the most substantial. Broderick Crawford delivers another solid performance in the film, presenting yet another compelling character. Not just these two, but every character in the film serves as a case study on how to create characters, their situations, and their involvement in each other's lives. It is remarkable how the writers managed this so well (credit to the original novel too) and how smoothly and effectively Russell Rouse executed it. Simply outstanding, man. Don't miss it.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Cry Danger (1951) :
Brief Review
A near-classic piece of film noir, but why the hell is there no hype about it? Cry Danger proves the definition of "underrated" films from the golden period of Hollywood. This is a sheer class of the film noir genre, and Robert Parrish knew exactly what he was doing. The film tells the story of Rocky, who was sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit. A fake alibi gets him out of jail, and then he goes to see his best friend's wife and his former girlfriend, Nancy. The two begin to get along just like old times, and Rocky is searching for 50 grand that can compensate for the five years he spent in jail. At the same time, he is looking for the real culprit so that he can get his best friend out of jail. Rocky meets Castro, the man who took all the money and is framed for betting on a horse. As the law ties his hands once again, he must get Castro on his knees and make him talk about the money. Will he be able to do that? Of course, you know that the hero will succeed by the end because that's how every story goes. But wait, you can't be that sure with the film noir genre. Cry Danger has a brilliant noir touch at the end that makes it special and allows it to stand out as a superior work in the film noir genre. I won't spoil it for you; just watch out for that moment. Speaking of negatives, Rocky and Nancy's affair didn't seem morally plausible to me. Imagine having an affair with your best friend's wife when you wanted to get him out within six months. Then why would he even glance at the girl during those six months? Let it be. I can forgive that flaw because it helps the climax look amazing. The film is packed with classy one-liners, good performances, a tight screenplay, fine direction, and a fantastic finale. It's so perfect in some ways that you can't help but heap praises on it. It is close to classic status and thus, extremely UNDERRATED!
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A near-classic piece of film noir, but why the hell is there no hype about it? Cry Danger proves the definition of "underrated" films from the golden period of Hollywood. This is a sheer class of the film noir genre, and Robert Parrish knew exactly what he was doing. The film tells the story of Rocky, who was sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit. A fake alibi gets him out of jail, and then he goes to see his best friend's wife and his former girlfriend, Nancy. The two begin to get along just like old times, and Rocky is searching for 50 grand that can compensate for the five years he spent in jail. At the same time, he is looking for the real culprit so that he can get his best friend out of jail. Rocky meets Castro, the man who took all the money and is framed for betting on a horse. As the law ties his hands once again, he must get Castro on his knees and make him talk about the money. Will he be able to do that? Of course, you know that the hero will succeed by the end because that's how every story goes. But wait, you can't be that sure with the film noir genre. Cry Danger has a brilliant noir touch at the end that makes it special and allows it to stand out as a superior work in the film noir genre. I won't spoil it for you; just watch out for that moment. Speaking of negatives, Rocky and Nancy's affair didn't seem morally plausible to me. Imagine having an affair with your best friend's wife when you wanted to get him out within six months. Then why would he even glance at the girl during those six months? Let it be. I can forgive that flaw because it helps the climax look amazing. The film is packed with classy one-liners, good performances, a tight screenplay, fine direction, and a fantastic finale. It's so perfect in some ways that you can't help but heap praises on it. It is close to classic status and thus, extremely UNDERRATED!
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.