Oh boy, another film noir film. Did I just say that? Anyways, even with my limited exposure to true film noir, I can safely say that this was film noir light, or diet film noir, or the Tab of film noir. Shall I go on? You see, the movie isn't bad, it's just not as good as what I have seen before. Of course I am thinking of White Heat since I recently saw it. (and reviewed it...check it out...by now it's in the archives...figure it out) This just didn't have that raw intensity that you saw in White Heat. But there were some good things in it, but also some bad things. Well, not necessarily bad, but things that left you going "huh?".First of all, the crime story aspect of the movie was entertaining. Like I said before, it didn't have that intensity you got in White Heat, but it was an entertaining story. The main villain, while not completely ruthless and cold blooded, was well played. As was the undercover cop. I guess I just can't say it enough, its not the best film noir, but it is an entertaining story. It's just the other aspect of the movie that's a little bit odd.
Part of the premise of this movie is that it shows how the FBI does it's investigations into criminal activity. But it does it in the style of a 50's educational video. Follow me here...you're watching a crime movie and some commissioner or other high ranking officer says to get that stuff to the lab, or see what the guys in forensics say, or something like that. Then we get the cheesy narrator talking about life in the hallowed halls of the FBI. Your left sitting there wondering what the hell happened. All of a sudden you're watching How To Survive A Nuclear Attack meets CSI. The only thing is that this movie was made in the 50's, so the investigative technology is completely outdated!! There's one part where and FBI officer has a name or something and goes to check the files...IN THE CARD CATALOG!!! It's hard to look past the time gap with something like this because it calls so much attention to the amazing processes the FBI uses to catch criminals and processes used are just so old. Its just a number of weird moments in an otherwise okay movie.
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Check these out for some great "noir":
This Gun For Hire (1942)
Gun Crazy (1949)
Out of the Past (1947)
Just three of my favorite movies in general, but representative of the genre (and all on DVD). Just remember that when these films were made, there was no such genre as "film noir". That was a phrase coined by the French in the '50's (just like the auteur theory was invented by the Cahiers du cinéma), and well after the "genre" had run its course. Actually, by that point, most films were then in color, and the detective flick was on the decline, so away went the "noir". Doesn't stop anyone from still trying it on occasion, and mostly getting it wrong.
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