This movie is a pretty standard Western, though tamer than most. It’s a fun time, baseline enjoyable, an adventure without being adventurous.
Closest comparison: It’s like Shane by way of Rio Bravo, both of which are better films.
Setting: Western
Plot: Western
Tone: Western
This movie takes place during a single day at the end of a waterfront alley in New York, and it delivers on the “knife fight in a phone booth” style of living the various classes of people living there endure every day. The stories weave together nicely to create a stage-play-esque tapestry that balances between the conflict of pathos and the catharsis of justice. It commands strong audience engagement and has a strong ending that may surprise you.
Closest comparison: It’s like Do The Right Thing by way of The Petrified Forest.
Setting: Sitcom
Plot: A Day in the Life
Tone: Crime Noir
This movie hits all the film noir staples, from the world-weary private eye hired by a dame at the end of her rope, to the twisting larger-than-life narrative. It stays very close to the source material, which portrays its protagonist as if Dashiell Hammett had Humphrey Bogart in mind. Its characters are complex and subtle, so casual viewers will be easily lost, but a more attentive audience will be rewarded with an intricate web of lies and deceit. There’s no substitute for the golden dialogue delivery and pre-war era style that easily cements itself as a time-tested classic.
Closest comparison: It’s like a less sleazy Chinatown by way of The Big Sleep (1946).
Setting: Drama
Plot: Detective
Tone: Noir
This movie is one of the all-time classic westerns, but unfortunately it does not live up to the hype. It’s aggressively tone-deaf, transitioning back and forth between scenes of gut-wrenching tragedy and lighthearted western antics like whiplash. There’s no emotional payoff for the injustices perpetrated in the first act, and multiple times main characters will suddenly do things they’ve said they wouldn’t with no warning or explanation given. Except for the score, cinematography, and acting, which are all excellent, this movie is an absolute mess.
Closest comparison: It’s like Man on Fire (2004) by way of Once Upon A Time in the West.
Setting: Western
Plot: Road Trip
Tone: Rescue Thriller
