Film Noir

Classic noir pairing Bogart and Bacall to their usual sizzling effect. Chandler's plot demands your full attention, but I personally consider that a good thing. Superior to The Maltese Falcon in my opinion.

Classic tale of cynicism and manipulation featuring reporter Kirk Douglas deliberately hampering the rescue of a trapped mine worker for his own ends. A superb performance and a very clever and insightful script.

A familiar ensemble cast in one of the all-time great detective films. Bogart's cynical anti-hero is timeless, and would not look out of place in a QT movie today. Amazing to think that this was Huston's first film.

Brilliant revisitation of the classic Film Noirs of the 40s and 50s. Spacey, Crowe and Pearce are all excellent.

Brilliant plot, fascinatingly told in reverse that kept me guessing til the very end.

Visionary director Ridley Scott's science fiction/film noir hybrid spawned an entire sub-genre (usually referred to as "tech noir") and William Gibson, who's novel Neuromancer is largely credited as the birth of cyberpunk, actually freely admits that Scott did it first. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, it follows the pursuit of four rogue androids by Rick Deckard, a "blade runner" who's job it is to hunt them down and "retire" them. Scott's vision is the continuation of the idea of the everyday of the future that he started in Alien. Most cyberpunk looks very silly and clumsy in this day and age, but Blade Runner still has a feeling of authenticity about it; Scott's dystopian future is a bustling, overpopulated melting pot of styles and cultures brought to life with inventive model effects, sets, costumes and lighting, not the usual CG overload concocted by animators and IT consultants we've become so accustomed to. And it still looks incredible considering it was made a quarter of a century ago. Ford's noir-esque anti-hero is a paranoid burn-out who constantly questions his role, up against a typically intense Rutger Hauer coming to terms with his burgeoning emotions; their final showdown is one of the best ever committed to celluloid. The Final Cut is a little too similar to the Director's Cut to recommend to anyone who already has it, but it's much better than the theatrical release. Which was concocted by studio executives who clearly thought they knew more about film making than Scott, and inexplicably added some unused footage from The Shining to give it a "happier" ending and a voice over in which Ford states the bleeding obvious, which is very useful if you are either blind or terminally stupid. Like a studio executive. A sci-fi classic and an all time personal favourite.

A Texan welder stumbles across the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and helps himself to the $2 million in cash no-one is left alive to claim. Unfortunately he does not count on a single minded psychopathic killer with a tracking device...This film basically distills elements of all their best work and creates a cold and cynical statement on the state of man. Javier Bardem's character is the most chilling and amoral bastard you will ever see; on more than one occasion he reminded me of a terminator with bad hair, except more cold-blooded! The pursuit of the stolen money just leads to bloodshed and tragedy for all involved, many innocents dying for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The underlying theme is the randomness of life; good things DO NOT happen to good people and there is no karmic "masterplan". This means that the ending may leave some feeling a little cheated because things aren't tied up nicely into a complete and satisfying package as so many stories are conventionally presented. But the journey there is as gripping as anything you are going to see; it has the tension, brooding atmosphere and cynicism of Blood Simple, the pragmatic investigation by a dismayed lawman in a similar way to Fargo and the style and brutal violence of Miller's Crossing. The shoot out between Bardem and Brolin is one of the best I've ever seen, reminding me of Michael Mann meets Peckinpah with a dash of Assault On Precinct 13. It is a case of the journey being better than the destination, but any Coen brothers fan will not be disappointed; they are back to their best.

Great cast in an extremely atmospheric supernatural noir thriller set in New Orleans. Dark, brooding and with a very powerful ending.

Another classic noir from John Huston, and one of the best examples of the genre. The cast of comparatively unknown character actors (Marilyn Monroe in a bit part before she was famous aside) make for a believably bleak tale of a heist gone wrong.

All the ingredients of classic noir, including the femme fatale, doomed anti-hero, twisting turning plot and cynical, snappy hard-boiled dialogue.

Classic self-scripted adaptation of Graham Greene's classic novel. Atmospherically shot in beautiful locations and another stand-out performance from Orson Welles. A classic mystery with a twist in the tale.

James Cagney's most famous role as a mother obsessed psychopath duped by an undercover agent. Hugely influential formula, copied umpteen times by Hong Kong cinema, and of course, QT in Reservoir Dogs.

Nicholson is unusually understated in an intelligent modern noir

All time classic thriller starring Marlon Brando at his peak and one of the most famous lines of dialogue ever.

Hugely atmospheric and claustrophobic thriller featuring an all-star cast of Hollywood legends. Robinson's performance as a hard-nosed gangster gradually falling apart in a pressure cooker situation is superb.

This pitch black hearted noir was something of a flop on its release, and it's not difficult to see why. Not through lack of quality, but rather the fact that its unrelenting cynicism and bleak outlook is certainly not for the faint hearted. Tony Curtis turns in easily his best performance as Sidney Falco, an obsequious press agent who is perfectly willing to sell his soul to get on top, and Burt Lancaster is similarly superb, brilliantly cast against type as a cold-hearted tyrant (even describing an attack on his character as an attack on his country, the cry of despots throughout the ages) who controls all around him through contemptible manipulation. The core of the film is the creepily ambiguous relationship between he and his sister; at one point he refers to her "apron strings", an allusion to motherhood, but he also keeps a portrait on his desk as one would a spouse or lover... It is unusual in that instead of fists and bullets, all the damage is done through words and insinuations; the razor sharp dialogue is amongst the best ever written for the screen, and the magnificent photography represents the city streets as blackly as the protagonists' hearts. The package is completed by a soundtrack of fantastic contemporary jazz and the overall result is one of the pinnacles of film noir.

After a panicky phone call from an ex-girlfriend, a high school student finds her dead and sets out to find out what happened to her. My first thought about this film was "Heathers rip-off". This soon became "David Lynch lite". But then it became something wholly different; it was as if I were watching the film evolve as it unfolded. Essentially it's a film noir relocated to a high school. All the types are present; cynical loner as self-destructive anti-hero seeking atonement for some past crime, the intellectual nerd as steetwise sidekick, prom queen as manipulative femme fatale, high school musical diva as gold digging vamp and dope dealing stoner as the petty hood cum stool pigeon. These characters are so well realised and "adult", you often forget the whole school setting, and the director cleverly reminds you from time to time with wit and humour; the fact that the sinister "kingpin" still lives with his mom a prime example. The hardboiled dialogue is especially well recreated, the machine gun delivery almost too snappy; I found myself rewinding the DVD so I didn't miss anything. The use of light and shadow is also particularly effective, especially when Gordon-Levitt is "enlightened" with the use of a mirror in a darkened basement. This film shows an understanding of the genre rarely seen outside of a Tarantino flick, and has single-handedly restored my faith in indie cinema after recently enduring the dismal You And Me And Everything That Blows. Rian Johnson is definitely a name I will be looking out for in the future.

Another cynical classic from Wilder, complete with iconic leads and timeless dialogue. A witty and clever satire on the Hollywood establishment.

Classic drama that sees childhood friends James Cagney and Pat O'Brien growing up on different sides of the law (no prizes for guessing which is which!) A great morality tale that rarely feels overly preachy, with a memorable finale in which Cagney finally swallows his pride to find some kind of redemption.

Another classic from the master of suspense. An ingenious plot co-written by
Raymond Chandler and another example of villainy being far more fun to watch than square-jawed do-gooders! Also the inspiration for Danny Devito/Billy Crystal comedy Throw Momma From The Train

When a sleazy private eye becomes entangled in a love triangle between a bar owner, his wife and employee, events take a sinister and bloody turn. The Coen brothers first film features a cast of excellent character actors rather than Hollywood "stars". The low budget feel actually adds to the atmosphere of the piece, a seediness permeating the proceedings; the burial scene is particularly unsettling. Barry Sonnenfeld's photography is stark and steeped in shadows following the best traditions of film noir, and the plot has a grittiness that has more in common with the hard boiled noirs of the 40s and 50s than more contemporary thrillers. In some ways it is their most mainstream film as it lacks the quirkiness that became their trademark, but it's a fine debut.

I'm a big fan of film noir, so this pastiche from Shane Black seemed to be right up my alley, and it didn't disappoint. Much. It's perfectly cast, with Downey jr's low rent crook-wanna be actor playing off Kilmer's dismissive hard-boiled pro detective brilliantly, and the post-modern narration is a master stroke. I even loved the title sequence. The problems only started to creep in as the story reached it's climax, and Black shrugged off the witty noir deconstruction to settle back into the usual 80s style macho excess that he made his name on. Just when I thought he'd grown up, no...here it comes. The torture sequence. The car chase. The shoot-out on an overpass (yet again.) But I have to say, at least age has tempered his misogyny to some extent in that he created a female hero (albeit one who "****ed EVERYONE in school.") Funny, stylish and entertaining, it could've been brilliant if Shane Black would just GROW UP.

In one of Bogart's least sympathetic roles, he plays the sociopathic leader of a group of criminals holed up in an ordinary family's home. The tension builds as the gang get increasingly desperate and paranoid while the family attempts to escape their captors. Gripping.

Fritz Lang directs Glen Ford as an uncompromising cop on the trail of organized criminals and corrupt officers in his own department, and when a car bomb kills his young wife, the gloves definitely come off...One of the toughest early noirs you're going to see, Ford reinforces his tough guy credentials and faces off against a young Lee Marvin as a brutal mobster. The on and off screen violence is some of the most brutally realistic you are going to see in a film of this era; I can't remember an earlier film that featured a car bomb, and as such this can be seen as a direct influence on the modern gangster flick. The sentiment is ladled on a little too thickly in portraying Ford's home life, the other female characters (Gloria Grahame's tart with a heart and woman scorned, and Jeanette Nolan's cynical opportunist) are far more interesting but otherwise, it's close to flawless. Classic noir that's as tough and uncompromising as it's star.

When a hoodlum staggers into a police station and confesses to the murder of his girlfriend, it sets in motion a chain of events which leads to D.A. Humphrey Bogart following a series of clues and bodies uncovering a group of ruthless contract killers. All the elements of film noir are in place, including gritty violence in darkened streets and tough, uncompromising characters. The structure is a little episodic, most of the story being told in flashback, and it would've benefited from giving more screen time to Bogie himself, but it's still a tautly directed and well shot minor classic of the detective genre.

Directed by a cinematographer, and it shows. One of the best looking noirs filmed in high contrast black and white, and Edmond O'Brien is interestingly cast out of his usual whiter than white type. The only blemish is the bizarre use of a comedy flute noise every time he encounters a member of the opposite sex, which as you can imagine, does not sit very well with the otherwise grimly dark atmosphere. A great concept, well executed, and far better than the gimmicky remake.

Another fine noir reuniting Bogart and Bacall. Mainly memorable for the lengthy first person sequence in which you see everything from Bogart's perspective, but it's a solid story efficiently told.

Another solid noir from Otto Preminger, in which hard-boiled detective Dana Andrews juggles catching a murderous hood, covering up his accidental killing of a suspect and clearing the name of an innocent man who appears guilty of his crime. And he still has time to romance Gene Tierney.

The beautiful Gene Tierney plays the kind of girl every man can't help but fall in love with,unknowingly inspiring lust, jealousy and obsession in all around her with tragic consequences. One the the classic noirs from Otto Preminger, this film is rather more romantic and less cynical than most as well as an exercise in cinematic economy. Not one scene, not one line is wasted, which in the current climate of lumbering 3 hour ego trips is hugely refreshing. It also has some fantastic dialogue, particularly from Clifton Webb's witty intellectual yet bitter columnist. Vincent Price's turn as a self-centred playboy does not entirely convince, but this is the only real weak point of note; otherwise it will keep you guessing til the end.