Classic Movie Marathon Day 10: The Woman in the Window (1944)

Welcome to the Classic Movie Marathon. Ten movies down, only two to go! Next up is The Country Girl (1954).

The Woman in the Window is another one of those movies which I have had sitting in my DVD shelf for a very long time. It was a result of my trip to the now devastated Christchurch back in early 2010, when I went to the shop Alice in Videoland, and was so taken by the beauty and variety the shop had that I felt obligated to buy something. From the small selection of ex-rentals they had, this movie looked the best. I've heard that the shop is no longer running because of the earthquake, so this DVD has a pretty big sentimental value to it. Even with the sentimental value and all, I haven't found the time to watch it since it's a different zone and I barely ever watch movies on the TV. This is the beauty of this marathon...I have to watch these movies which I've had gathering dust for so long. Anyway, I digress. You're here for my review on the movie, aren't you? Well, I hope you are...

Who ever knew that a painting of a woman could cause so much pain for one innocent man? College professor Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) and his friends become obsessed with the portrait of a woman in the window next to the men's club. Wanley happens to meet the woman (Joan Bennett) while admiring her portrait, and ends up in her apartment for talk and a bit of champagne. Her boyfriend bursts in and misinterprets Wanley's presence, whereupon a scuffle ensues and the boyfriend gets killed. In order to protect his reputation, the professor agrees to dump the body and help cover up the killing, but becomes increasingly suspect as the police uncover more and more clues and a blackmailer begins leaning on the woman.

You can't go wrong with a bit of Edward G. Robinson. He was the epitome of a short bad-ass. But isn't it ironic that this movie was made in 1944, it featured a man killing a woman's lover and having to live with the guilt of it, and it stars Robinson? Why yes, Double Indemnity is very similar to this little number. Apart from the fact that this is more of a film noir in every sense of the word. It's dark and icy, from Joan Bennett's cool demeanour to the really dark shots. Meanwhile, the movie has some splendid moments of laughter and sarcasm which stood out quite a bit for me. Fritz Lang did a fantastic job of directing. This is my first Lang movie, so I feel like a bit of a Lang virgin, but I am definitely eager to check out some of his other movies after seeing this one. The only problem I have is the slightly clunky script which seems to drag a bit and the end. The end was a bit dated, but I assume this could have been classed as original back in the time it was made. Otherwise, I don't really have anything else to say about the film.

What I got:

Classic Movie Marathon Day 1: Double Indemnity

 Welcome to Day 1 of the Classic Movie Marathon. One movie down, 11 to go. Up next is Gaslight (1944).

Well, hello there, film noir, I have missed you in my year long vacation from classic movies. And let me be the one to say this: noir just doesn't come any better than Double Indemnity. It has everything: murder, intrigue, good guy gone bad for the love of a woman, adultery, a suspicious kid, an evil stepmother, Edward G. Robinson, trains, anklets and a really dodgy blonde wig. How did it take me so long to watch this one? This is like, one of my favourite movies ever now.

In 1944, the themes of murder and adultery were a little bit frowned upon because of the Production Code, so Double Indemnity was definitely something different. Watching it now, it's easy to see that this movie has clearly influenced murder stories, and rightfully so - this will always be one of the greats. And it didn't even win any Oscars, out of the seven nominations it scored. Barbara Stanwyck went another year without a win, even though her performance is one of the best female performances I have ever seen. From the moment we first see Phyllis Dietrichson, dressed only in a towel, looking as cool as ever even though her wig (chosen by director Billy Wilder to make her look 'phony') didn't quite suit her, we know she means business. She has such charm, which she uses as a weapon against Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), even though she's really quite fickle. If she's around her family, especially her step-daughter Lola (Jean Heather), where she appears to cut off all affection. That could be said for the way she acts around her husband (Tom Powers).

Stanwyck's acting is simply brilliant, as she works her way out from under the weight of that wig, and is complimented by the costuming and cinematography. Notice how she always wears floaty and loose clothing? I think that just suggests what kind of her character she is. She doesn't want to be constrained by anything, whether it be clothing or her husband. She just wants to be a free woman - with a bit of cash - and has to wrap something, or someone, around her to get exactly what she wants. I also loved the way the camera would have her in the centre, and she'd look perfectly evil with her sunglasses shielding her eyes away from question. I swear, in one scene where she is plotting her husbands murder, I can see Stanwyck's eyes reeling Neff in. That makes the pairing of her and MacMurray even more exciting...they are the perfectly mismatched murderers. He becomes the backbone of the story as he is the narrator, and the story is told through a series of his flashbacks. I found it hard to sympathize with him, though, since he was stupid enough to fall under the spell of Mrs. Dietrichson, but I did feel as if he didn't deserve what was coming to him at the end.

The dialogue in this movie is whip-smart, and frequently quite funny considering the subject at hand. The narrative structure is well placed, and it always keeps you watching. It turns a corner and there is new information being unfolded...this movie just keeps unfolding until it had a hundred creases. The camerawork and direction from Billy Wilder is flawless. He makes good use of darkness and shadows, doorways and windows, close ups and wide shots. He captures the true meaning of film noir, an intricate story shrouded in stylish dark surroundings with a romantic strain to match. Noir is in fact one of my favourite genres, and Double Indemnity is certainly the best classic noir I have ever seen.

What I got:

Classic--Sweet Smell of Success

or: Unethical people.

One word to sum it up: Cruel.

It has been a while since I've watched a true 'classic', so it was nice to have Sweet Smell of Success bringing me back into the state which I once loved. I imagine that this film is like The Social Network of the 50s, being all about tearing down other people and having some whip smart dialogue to give it a boost. It's also one of those films which has gotten better with age. It's release in 1957 saw a poor box office performance thanks to the fact that Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis don't play their typical nice guy characters. As the film grew older, people started realizing what a terrific portrait of people this movie is...and even though it was made over 50 years ago, it still remains as relevant as ever.

J.J. Hunsceker (Burt Lancaster), is a tyrannical Broadway columnist for the New York Globe who rules his demimonde with the press's power to create or destroy. Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis), is the hustling publicist who is consumed by desperate ambition and hates himself because of it; he will do anything to gain the admiration of Hunsceker ("My experience, in brief, is dog eat dog.") The film was shot in black and white by James Wong Howe, giving it a grittiness that underscores the class ranking among the characters. In the script by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman, Falco's early prediction - "Every dog has its day" - comes crashingly true.

Jeez. This movie brought out the big guns in all sorts of places. J.J. Hunsecker is one very horrible person, which makes the ending all the more 'sweet', as a pun would put it. First of all, why would you even try and break up your sister's relationship with a man whom she clearly loves, just because you 'deem him to be inappropriate'? Second, why would you basically con a young man into doing all your dirty work? And why would you do all these horrible things because you have power and ambition lodged into your mind? Welcome to reality. Sweet Smell of Success, no matter how scathing and unethical it is, is a stark reminder of how some people act in order to get what they most want. It may have been terrifying for audiences to watch this kind of thing when it came out, but as time has gone on, the film audiences have become more aware of the truth, which is a great trait this movie holds.

Burt Lancaster is simply fantastic as Hunsecker. The way his look can silence anyone makes him menacing and someone you wouldn't want to mess with. Even though he's a little scary, he is the key to power and influence, which makes him all the more appealing. Tony Curtis, in the 'first role which required him to act', churns out a great performance as Sidney Falco. Together, Lancaster and Curtis adopt such good chemistry that every line seems like a sharp stab in the back. The acid-laced dialogue is simply unforgettable, and makes the kind of movie that would be a good reference for insults. And hey, that is my kind of movie.

THE VERDICT: Sweet Smell of Success is a great film which shows how people tear each other down in the name of power, with great dialogue and performances to boot.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Rewind--The Lookout

or: Memento with Joseph Gordon-Levitt

One word to sum it up: Twisty

Here I am, writing this review more than a week after I saw it, and catching up with a queue of blogging now I have faster internet that actually works properly. If this review is a little scratchy, it's because The Lookout isn't that fresh in my mind. But maybe this will give me a chance to randomly ramble about the amazingness of Joseph Gordon-Levitt??

An admired high school hockey player with a bright future, Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a part of a car crash, which leaves him with a brain injury that prevents him from remembering many things for extended periods of time. To compensate, he keeps notes in a small notebook to aid him in remembering what he is to do. He also lives with a blind friend, Lewis (Jeff Daniels). Obviously, with the mental incapacitation, he is unable to have meaningful work, so he cleans a bank. It is there he comes under the scrutiny of a gang planning to rob the bank. The leader, Gary (Matthew Goode) befriends him and gets him involved with a young woman, Luvlee (Isla Fisher) who further reels him in. After they get close and after reeling him in with his own failures, the bank plan unfolds. Confused but wanting to escape his current existence, he initially goes along with the scheme. After realizing he is being used, he attempts to stop the robbery, which of course immediately goes wrong.

The Lookout sets out to be a clever heist movie, mixed with a psychological mind flip thriller, but ultimately comes across as an intricate modern day film noir. It draws plenty of valid comparisons to an earlier noir called Brick, which also starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is because, like Brick, The Lookout has some amazing, yet very realistic characters. The Pin always haunts the back of my mind, as does Gary Spargo from this movie. The script never lets down on these characters, and seems to make sure that we know how well developed they are and that some of these people could be in our lives. At some points, these characters become a little too well-focussed on and we kind of lose the story, but Scott Frank's assured direction makes sure we never lose sight of the film.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt again proves that he has everything a leading man needs, even though this is a small independent thriller of sorts. Oozing with talent and a real emotional connection, he kinda reminded me of a Leonardo DiCaprio-in-training...I mean, you saw Inception, right? JGL totally owned in that movie, just as Leo does in most of his movies. If more movies could be clever modern film noir like this one, and all starring JGL, then we would have a very happy film industry, wouldn't we? Also, I can't go on without mentioning a fantastic Isla Fisher, who, in my mind, is a bubbly natural comedienne, but did extremely well in a dramatic role. More of these and Isla might be able to rustle up some awards for her efforts.


THE VERDICT: A fantastic independent film noir, which is made great thanks to it's realistic and colourful ensemble of characters. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stands out in a film similar to his previous work Brick.

7/10

Brick

Brick is a movie that I may not have been that interested in had Joseph Gordon-Levitt been in it. But when I started reading up on it, I thought it sounded like a pretty interesting story, and proceeded to search for it everywhere. By some stroke of luck, I managed to get hold of the DVD from some backwoods-ish supplier. Lucky, lucky me.

Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a loner, but is someone who knows all the ins and outs of the social lives of the people at his high school, though he chooses to stay on the outside. When his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie De Ravin) turns up dead, he is determined to find who killed her and why she is dead. Here he finds himself in the dark and dangerous social strata of rich girl Laura (Nora Zehetner), intimidating Tug (Noah Fleiss), drug-addled Dode (Noah Segan), seductive Kara (Meagan Good) and the ominous Pin (Lukas Haas). But who can he really trust to get the answers to his questions?

This is one of the greatest examples of a modern Film Noir, made all the better by it's relevant High School setting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as always, performs to his utmost best, and is truly convincing as a young detective. His emotional connection to both the character and the audience makes this film worth the while. All of the other characters in this movie are well thought out and have several similarities to other Film Noir characters from the 1940's.

What makes this movie so unique is the way it is directed. Rian Johnson once cited that influences on visualization for this movie were Spaghetti Westerns. This is just one facet of this film which is taken from the past. It is a mish-mash of different films which comes together as quite an original film itself. It's drug dealing storyline is quite interesting, and the character 'The Pin' is rather intriguing and serves as one of the films greatest originalities.

An intriguing modern Film Noir, with a great lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the actor to watch into the future.

8/10