The Fast and the Furious (1954) - 3/5

This movie is fine; quite dated in its style and effects, but mostly fine. The acting is stilted and the dialogue is a bit dry, but there’s a decent underlying story that’s mildly entertaining. It’s likely to be derided when compared to the 2001 film of the same name and because of its dated filmmaking sensibilities, but it’s not a terrible movie when considered on its own merits.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Petrified Forest by way of Detour (1945).

Setting: Action
Plot: Chase
Tone: Thriller

The Big Sleep (1946) - 4/5

This is a detective film noir classic, complete with downtrodden detective and a sense of smoky mystique hanging in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife and it would stay cut. The story strolls along while the actors chew the scenery and the audience forgets itself for the duration. It manages to tackle the tawdry subsurface dealings of the rich and famous with dignity, without stooping to the sleaze of its ‘70s counterparts. The dialogue, acting, and overall filmmaking here is good, but the main draw here is the atmosphere that mesmerizes as only the noir genre can.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Maltese Falcon (1941) by way of Dark Passage (1947).

Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Noir