An Ad-Vantage To Noir

The Killing

(1956)



Directed by- Stanley Kubrick

*Sterling Hayden, Elisha Cook Jr., Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia, Joe Sawyer, Marie Windsor

There are heist films and then there's a heist film by Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick only a budding genius back then made this film on a small budget in collaboration with his patron James Harris, with a restricted reign on his artful imagination and yet he did a fantastic job. His innovative idea of telling the story through various vantage points adds a freshness to every iteration while also building up the excitement.

The story about a bunch o' hoodlums who plan to make a fortune by ripping off a racetrack, flows smoothly until their schemes are spilled to the greedy wife of one of their own. This sets in motion various nefarious schemes that greatly affect the solution of this potboiler affair.

The film also explores the 'human element' in an erstwhile perfect heist. The element of avarice, wrath and simple nerves playing its part in a cog-and-wheel situation and how that affects the conclusion.

Cleverly directed with a few shots that stand out particularly, make brilliant use of light with a dexterous play of shadows. The meeting in a shady apartment or the scene where George goes to kill his unfaithful wife, the expression on his bloodstained face, remain etched in memory long after.

(George here being the memorable gunsel from 'The Maltese Falcon', Elisha Cook Jr., ah how well Kubrick utilizes him)

The acting by everyone is fine. Marie Windsor as the insatiable vamp leaves a mark, as does Cook Jr. However the lead actor Sterling Hayden fails to impress. It's still Kubrick who's the real star of his film.

But a character that sticks with you is the wise old wrestler, Maurice. With his overflowing knowledge and superior intellect, the mountain of a man manages to impress albeit having a short role.

 

The shots are planned well, the racetracks are depicted in their expanding vastness and the horses look beautiful indeed. From the gloomy indoor settings to the bright outdoors Lucien Ballard captures everything splendidly.

But it's the screenplay, adapted from a novel by Lionel White and written by Kubrick himself that towers above all. The dialogues, such as those between the husband and wife where he convinces her of his love and she, quite shrewdly coaxes him to spill the beans add flesh and blood to the narrative. Even the narration, which does provide a slight documentary look, reminiscent of his shorts, is convincing.

The justice done to the characters and the untold yet evident fate of the sole survivor delivers a chilling blow.

Overall, a darn good film. Very different from the rudimentary noirs, in both styling and substance and yet true to the roots of the genre, this one is certainly one of the best heist films you've seen.

Kubrick is the man, or God. Whichever you will prefer.

Rating- 4.5/5

Chasing Through A Dreamland

The Night of the Hunter

(1955)




Directed by- Charles Laughton

*Robert Mitchum, Billy Chapin, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish

Charles Laughton's inspiring noir thriller about a murderous Preacher is one of those early works of genius which basically created the templates that many films would follow for years to come.
As the menacing Reverend Harry Powell calls for the two innocent children in a sing song voice you can virtually feel the tension seeping through the screen and into the sweat of your palms.

Utilizing brilliant set design and the remarkable camerawork by Stanley Cortez, Laughton creates a dreamland which the two nimble protagonists endeavor through. That is how poetic the language of the film is. From the town to the river, the farm and the house of Miss Cooper, the perilous journey of John and Pearl, forming the centerpiece of the film is depicted very, very artfully.

And it's not just the sets but the lighting and the play of shadows conducted by Cortez that leave an indelible mark on one's mind.

(The giant shadow of Powell's head caused by a streetlamp inside the children's bedroom or the scene where the Preacher murders the mother in that crypt-like room.)

But what accompanies the narrative smoothly while enhancing the dread of the scenes is Walter Schumann's unforgettable music. With two original pieces, 'Lullaby' and 'Pretty Fly' (the latter being so enchanting I still can't stop humming) that are placed perfectly, the score is haunting and melodious at the same time.

Also making use of the traditional hymn, 'Leaning in the Everlasting Arms' as a motif for the killer, Laughton creates a chilling picture of vice and villainy through the mere use of a song.

But the film is so brilliant in its symbolism and the contrasts that watching it and unraveling these beautiful secrets is a treat in itself.

Such as, the literally angelic representation of Rachel Cooper (in the beginning), while she plays the role of a guardian angel for the kids; a bible-reading, god-fearing angel.

And Icey and Walt Spoon's switch into the cursing forebears of the mob is justifiably humorous.

Though what slightly put me off was the anti-climactic end of Harry Powell.

Then it's the acting. Robert Mitchum is every bit perfect as the seething villain, Harry Powell; the serpent with the silver tongue. His mannerisms, his accent and distinguished baritone and the way he narrates that 'Story of Good and Evil', all of it forms an image of a perfectly loathsome character, dimpled chin and all.

Lillian Gish as the benevolent Miss Cooper looks the part. Her kind motherly face and the slight quiver in her voice and the resolute firmness in the way she cocks her shotgun, it is all promising.

Finally, its the boy, Billy Chapin who plays an important role so very effectively.

This film is as deep in meaning as it is visually stunning.

It will remain not just one of the most unforgettable noirs but also a film that formed a brilliant specimen of cinema.

Rating- 4.4/5

A New Twist of Nuclear Noir Nihilism.

Kiss Me Deadly
(1955)


Directed by- Robert Aldrich
*Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Gaby Rodgers, Nick Dennis, Cloris Leachman

A sleepy film noir that takes the turn of a sci-fi espionage film by the end as it reaches maximum mystery and a chilling end!

Mike Hammer is a shady private eye who pimps his secretary for blackmailing wealthy and adulterous husbands. 
One night while driving along the highway as he gives a lift to a mysterious girl he ends up getting caught in a web of unresolved answers and two-faced players.
Trying to find the killers of the mystery girl, he ends up losing his friends on this insane vendetta and much more.
But as the smoke clears and revelations are made Hammer looks in the face of a plot far more greater and sinister than he had ever imagined.

The film builds up slowly, never giving away what its really about as you hang on to loose ends while character after character are introduced and the protagonist gropes helplessly in the dark, but scriptwriter A. I. Bezzerides does a fantastic job with tying up those ends in a perfect knot which has the thrills and the chills.

The direction is also very good, some of the shots are clearly distinctive of a noir and go along with the detective-in-pursuit motif splendidly.
Meanwhile Meeker fills in the tough guy role effortlessly. He knows how to grin mercilessly as he tortures his victims and to clench his jaw when in a fix. 
This film however has two femme fatales as opposed to the one. Maxine Cooper's slutty secretary Velda who traps rich husbands for her boss, however, pales in comparison to the diabolical vixen Gabrielle, played superbly by Gaby Rodgers. Her heel in the end is one of the most chilling femme fatale moments of film noir.

Overall the film which starts off as a cheesy, whodunit (and remains so until almost halfway through) boils down to a gritty nihilistic take on themes never before explored in this dark genre.
One of the pathbreaking films of Noir.

Rating- 3.7/5
Heavily recommended. You will be surprised.

Mythbusting & Mindblowing! 'Indie'd...

The Man From Earth

(2007)



Directed by- Richard Schenkman

*David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford, Annika Peterson




An indie movie with such an amazing concept that hits you in the gut like a sledgehammer and leaves you awestruck, suspended in the air, for its 1 hour 27 minutes of running time.
To put it simply, John Oldman is a professor who unexpectedly resigns from his post. He is also a 14000 year old Cro-Magnon caveman.
Set entirely in the living room of his house where he narrates his extraordinary story, from prehistoric to the present, to his initially unbelieving and eventually bewildered friends.

Written by Jerome Bixby (as his last work) the film spans over a vast canvas of themes and notions of human history, exploring and doing justice to all possible premises. John's journey is described amid heated discussions and humorous arguments and that saves it from being a fairytale occupied by its own grandness. 
In fact the film plays with your emotions expertly while challenging theories and even facts we so firmly believe in, in a tongue in cheek kind of a manner.

The crucial moment when John makes one of the most astounding revelations is handled deftly. The horror it creates somehow shadowing over the awesomeness it exudes.
Though nothing substantial happens throughout the screenplay and all we learn is John's fantastic backstory, the magnitude of the effect it has on it's audience is nothing short of, no, much greater than biblical.

The acting by the entire cast is good. Especially by David Lee Smith as the primeval professor John Oldman. And he is supported well by Tony Todd as the inquisitive and mildly supportive Dan and the cheerful Biologist Harry played by John Billingsley.

However, there are a few chinks in the armor, primarily technical issues such as some parts of the dubbing and in the handling of certain scenes, especially towards the end which muff the overall dexterity of the narrative.
But the final gut-punch by John Oldman (or any one of the various pseudonyms he has adopted if you prefer) which you may somehow foresee, still leaves you shaken, impressed and in wonder of just how amazing this film is.


Rating- 3.8/5
Be prepared to have your minds blown. Blown to bits I say.
What a fantastic idea!

Of Scouts, Lawyers & Lovers

Moonrise Kingdom
(2012)


Directed by- Wes Anderson

*Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel and Bob Balaban


As Wes Anderson's Cannes opener begins, the camera sweeps across the rooms of a house, showing the daily lives of its inhabitants as we see a young girl pouring over a book.
The house is called Summer's End and the girl is Suzy Bishop, the troublesome daughter of an attorney couple living on an island known as New Penzance.
Suzy has been interacting with a pen pal she made when she participated as a Raven in Benjamin Britten's play Noye's Fludde. The pen pal is Sam Shakusky, an orphan Khaki Scout who is rather unpopular in his camp.
The duo decide to elope and thus begins this hearty adventure of a kid couple lost in a storm of emotions, innocence and a charm so beautiful that makes you fall in love with everyone who touches this story.


The sequence where Scout Master Randy Ward inspects the goings-on of his camp, Camp Ivanhoe, and discovers that a cadet is missing sets tune for the comic mood that transcends over the rest of the film.
The action which sees a daring rescue from a raging fire and a lightning bolt that strikes our hero on a pile of rocks, even, rings with that adventurous theme of the scouts.

But Moonrise Kingdom isn't the story of smitten scouts, nor is it a tale of broken homes and the tangles of human relationship. But it is, in fact, a lovely, heartfelt ode to the beating hearts and the apprehensive touch of a first love so strong it braves storms, lightning, floods and the wild to survive. A love powered by the principles of scouting and the wings of imagination. A love that leaves its home and creates its own Kingdom.


Narrated by Bob Balaban and set in an island community in 1965, brimming with that old world charm, the film has a beautiful imagery that is enhanced by the brilliant cinematography of Robert Yeoman. The green wildernesses, the turquoise oceans and the Khaki shorts form such an enthralling palette that leaves you astounded by it's visual eloquence.


The acting by the perfect ensemble cast is apt.
Bruce Willis as the bespectacled, sad Captain Sharp downplays his character splendidly and achieves a sympathetic perfection.
With Bill Murray and Frances McDormand as the headstrong attorney couple who raise their kids with military strictness and fail to understand the longing of their own daughter's heart.
The cameos by Tilda Swinton as Social Services and Harvey Keitel as the outrageous Commander Pierce leave a mark.
But among the adult cast it is Edward Norton's unsure, inexperienced and yet daring part-time-Maths teacher/Scout master that evokes empathy by the overall sense of goodness brimming about him.
And finally the lead actors, the couple in love, the man and wife; Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as Sam and Suzy deliver a performance of such conviction at such a young age which forces you to acknowledge their love as no less than that of legends, albeit with its own quirky sense of humor.


It is a film about the innocence of childhood and the eccentricities of love, of real people who strive in their real lives and scouts who march ever forward with flag, badge and banner and how love provides solace from the chaos of this grown up world.


Rating- 4.4/5

Bhai Lose SWAG!

Ek Tha Tiger
(2012)


Directed by- Kabir Khan

*Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad, (Doodh)



I know it's late and pointless reviewing this film but well, lets just get this out of the way.
Like most movies I got into this one late (about 5 mins) and probably missed a lame joke concerning cigarettes (as I've heard) and Bhai's entry.
But soon the loss is forgotten and the mood is set when Bhai starts jumping off rooftops and going ninja with clotheslines.
After a fierce bout of seetis and taalis the scene ends with heavy cash flow on the streets and Bhai walking out of the frame in his signature strut.
Now most people miss this but Kabir Khan here is such a badass with symbolism that he strategically placed this scene to subliminally signify his film's predetermined performance at the BO and laugh in the face of his contemporaries.
Also to reassure YRF for making such a pathetic film.

But moving on, Bhai gets back to his sarkari quarter and takes milk from the doodhwala (the doodh having an extended role in the film. And it does show promise, I'll tell you that)
And in no time Bhai is ready for his next assignment. Facial injuries notwithstanding.
Soon Bhai is assigned to observe a prodigal professor of Indian origin and look-see if the guy is secretly supplying information to Paki agents.
Cut to: Dublin
Bhai dons smart sweaters and loiters around park benches and subsequently gains entry into the Prof's house. But why do you even need the professor?
The guy barely comes on screen and in no way helps move the story forward.
The doodh has a bigger role than him.

Bhai is soon distracted by the beautiful caretaker and loses all interest in the professor. And whatever little screen time the guy had is robbed from him.
Then follows a weak love story, sans any good songs, good humor and good reason.
Its just that Kabir Khan managed to rope in both Salman and Katrina together after a long time and solely decided to depend on their confused relationship status to take care of the film. There is just NO love story happening here.
But then comes the twist which must have made Kabir Khan feel so pleased with himself that he doesn't even care that the public could sense it from miles away and hours before.
Yes, Katrina is a spy beyotch!
that too ISI, ooooh..

Bhai is heartbroken or constipated going by his expression, but he gathers his wits and musters his patriotism to shoot his lover in the face, right before interval.
Or so you think, Kabir Khan is 'streets ahead' of you and Katrina is alive! #LikeABoss
Bhai's chivalry having overpowered Bhai's farz, he let a rival spy (probably armed with weapon secrets and his heart) slip away.

But never mind the hiccups, the story continues to move ever so forward without managing to get anywhere.
Cut To: Sarkari quarter, and the doodh gets some more screen time. By now overpowering Girish Karnad by it's blinding performance.
(I can see a star is born)
Bhai is lovelorn and decides to take up a desk job, quitting field work altogether.
Yet fate forces him to cross paths with his love once again and he sets off for a UN conference to meet Zoya Bibi. That's Kat btw.
(Yes, Pakis are very respectful to their ladies, even if they are AWOL secret agents)
After too much waltzing and fooling around Bhai simply takes off with the girl jumping from speedboat to airplane to bus to rooftops again!

Now the only good thing about this film that makes all this spineless ruckus bearable is the action. The parkour-powered chase sequences coupled with some amazing hand-to-hand combat featuring both Bhai and *ahem* Bhabhi, breathe dragon fire in the erstwhile dead film.
The stunts are performed with finesse and executed with flawless precision.
There is a distinctive flow to the action and you can see it, and that pleases you all the more.

But Kabir Khan returns to his signature bullshittery and stabs all good things and decides to end the film with the obligatory lameass car chase followed by a surprising and genuinely funny teamwork between RAW and ISI.
In the end Bhai decides to take the action up a notch by boarding a plane amid take off on his phancy bike.
(Batman take cue)

The film ends with enough room for a sequel and its viewers' faith in Bhai left in tatters.
There is no quirky humor of your regular Salman fare, no cocky dialogue that usually sends the public in an uproar and only a momentous peek at his finely sculpted abs. There's just not enough Salman in there.
Kabir Khan tries too hard to make a believable love story of a spy which comes across as an un-Salmanly experience and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

If only Bhai was allowed to carry off his effortless swag as always, this film could have scored. If only there were better lines and a tighter script, this film could have scored. If only Kabir Khan didn't try to make it an eligible contendor for award season, this film could have scored.
Sadly, it doesn't.

Kabir Khan makes a botched up, witless attempt to portray himself as a mainstream director with sensibilities and substance. But you're casting Salman Khan, you better throw all sense out of the window for good and dive right in.


Rating- 2.5/5
Watch it only for the rush of the action scenes, then kindly leave the theater.

The City, A Murder And Noir

The Naked City (1948)

Directed by- Jules Dassin

*Barry Fitzgerald, Don Taylor, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart


The Naked City is about New York, starring New York and made in New York.
A wonderful ode to a wonderful city with colorful narration and genius camera work.
With the starting monologue (presented by producer Mark Hellinger) attempting to provide it a documentary style we are introduced to the chief character; New York city.
William H. Daniels' superb cinematography captures the very soul of the great city in a stunning montage that spans from empty theaters to high society gatherings, a cleaning woman about her job to a radio host playing records on air.
As the narrative proceeds we witness a murder, that of a young model by the name of Jean Dexter. Alongside we are introduced to the other principal characters living their lives, oblivious to what that beckons them.

The story in a nutshell is pretty neat. Cops investigating Dexter's murder are hot on the trail of the murderers. But the clever web of shadows that falls over the rather simple mystery maintains the secrecy like a charm. And as new sides of the dice are revealed the viewer relishes in delight of the taut thrills that the film packs, including a very elaborate and sizzling climactic chase.

The film is also special in showcasing the minute details of a real police procedure. From dusting the room for prints to combing every inch of it for clues. and even the false leads that tend to misdirect the investigations and not to mention provide some unintentional humor.
It is the realistic depiction of the functioning of the police body that gives the film the haunting feel of realism.

The characters played out by the wonderful cast are rooted into reality and we feel the false pride of Frank Niles just as the youthful excitement of Detective Halloran.
But it is the wise old man of Barry Fitzgerald, Det. Lt. Dan Muldoon who overshadows the rest of the cast by his experience and wit.
From mumbling happy songs to mimicking crazy, old ladies, Fitzgerald is all there and his acting is first rate. Funny, calculating and warm.
Though there is one more character, as sharp as the old timer and even more cunning.
It's the brilliant narration by Hellinger that drives the film forward with a powerful force. There are scenes where the narrative might lag, such as while looking for witnesses all across the city, but it is the satirical dialogue of the narrator that provides these scenes with a comical edge.

Dassin's direction which takes control from the word go and never slips in the slightest for the rest of the film is commendable. The pacing of the scenes, the heels, the timing, all of it is nothing short of perfect.
Dassin handles his characters on a leash and they follow every command dutifully.

But what really makes this film so lovable, so rare is the awe-inspiring cinematography.
From the NY skyscrapers to the streets, the children's parks to the offices all of it is immortalised onscreen forever as one of the finest examples. And why not, as the film has been shot entirely on location.
Not a single shot was taken in a studio as the film is completely based in New York, a fact complimenting its own unique documentary style.

In the end, The Naked City is a wonderful achievement.
A splendid commentary on the millions of oblivious lives and their ironies that fill the city and make it complete. Make it real.
One of the brightest of films noir, complete with fleshy characters and a thrilling storyline and its own distinctive style.

Rating- 4.4/5