sterlingwritesit Reviews

Focus (II) (2015)

Poorly Constructed

[3/10 · 11 July 2015]

Ordinarily, I like to take my time writing reviews, looking for at least one interesting element to discuss. Focus won't be getting that respect from me. Its runtime was (mercifully, a little less than) two hours I will never get back.

I don't want to lay the blame with Smith or Robbie, who both do good work here. The issue has to do with construction. Simply put, the script fails to sell us on the movie's central romance, which appears to boil down to "you're fun to hang out with and to screw, so of COURSE we're soulmates." Without the foundation of a believable (or even comprehensible) relationship, this movie ends up being empty. In addition, the script meanders and doesn't really kick into high gear until over an hour in.

Bottom line: The charisma of its leads can't save it. Skip this!

Deadline at Dawn (1946)

Good Film Noir

[8/10 · 15 June 2015]

Deadline at Dawn has a Trojan Horse of a protagonist. After a brief prologue, we start the film with Al, a young, square-jawed and impeccably decent sailor on shore leave who proceeds to get himself tangled up in a web of murder and blackmail. The usual, basically. To be honest, this guy's naive to the point of stretching credulity and Bill Williams' performance does little to add layers or nuance to this very broad character.

Somewhere along the way though, there's a hand-off that occurs, with Susan Hayward's more streetwise dancehall girl taking precedence. Her character, along with a philosophical cabbie (played by Paul Lukas) are clear standouts here and make for a good, if not quite classic, film noir as they're put through their paces by a twistier-than-average script.

Bottom line: Fans of film noir should find a lot to interest them here.

Detour (1945)

Lean, Mean Noir

[8/10 · 14 June 2015]

Watching Detour, it becomes apparent immediately that the movie was made on the cheap. The film relies on extensive rear projection work and shies away from using exteriors. All of this contributes to a certain cramped feel. This modest production is extremely effective nonetheless due to a few factors.

First of all, we get a great raw-nerved, vulnerable performance from Tom Neal as our protagonist. This is complemented nicely by a vicious turn from Ann Savage as a hitchhiking femme fatale. Meanwhile, the script contributes several gems of dialogue that allow the two to really stand out.

The limitations of the production actually work in the movie's favor. The cramped, constricted environment in which the characters operate becomes a pressure cooker, heightening the sense of dread as emotions boil over.

On the negative side, the movie does fall victim to some clunky editing. This, along with a few other minor issues keeps me from rating this more highly.

Bottom line: Worth your time for the performances of the two leads, especially if you're a film noir fan.

Comanche Station (1960)

Good Little Western

[7/10 · 13 June 2015]

Comanche Station is a modest movie. It lacks the scope of the big Hollywood Westerns of its time and the splashy zaniness of the Spaghetti Westerns that were to burst onto the scene later in the decade. What it does have is mostly solid performances (Scott in particular does good work here), a lean, economical script and a few stand-out sequences.

For instance, I particularly liked the film's opening, a nearly wordless sequence in which Scott's character interacts with a tribe of Indians. A ransomed or kidnapped wife is a recurring element in Boetticher/Scott Westerns, but this movie brings some freshness to that old storyline.

Bottom Line: A better-than-average Western. Worth your time.