This movie is a stock Noir genre title, not great and not terrible. The tension, story, and even delivery are all uninspired. Even bankable stars like Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Becall, and Edward G. Robinson are phoning it in.
Closest comparison: It’s like a much tamer Funny Games by way of To Have and Have Not.
Setting: Adventure
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Thriller
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
This movie is a thoughtful, melancholy look at the Western genre. Casting John Wayne in the lead lends a lot of depth to the role, since the film is an introspection on the kinds of films he’s known for starring in. It’s not heavy on action, though there’s enough, and the narrative is more interested in what it is to be a gunfighter and what that does to someone over a lifetime of violence. It’s a well-conceived story and excellently acted, definitely worth a watch for anyone who’s a fan of the classic John Wayne westerns.
Closest comparison: It’s like Wild Strawberries by way of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
Setting: Western
Plot: Reminiscence
Tone: Drama
This drama is one in a long line of Bogart / Becall collaborations, though one of the weaker ones. While it's always great to hear them banter, this film doesn't offer anything more than the basic motions of plot and dialogue. The most interesting aspect was the first-person cinematography in the fist half of the movie, an underused form used extremely well here. Unfortunately, it's the same reason the technique stops being used that keys in the viewer about why it was used in the first place, and that undercuts its impact significantly. It's not a classic, but there are worse movies to watch for an hour and 45, old or new alike.
