Movies
A very traditional noir, with a pretty predictable plot structure. Sure enough, the twist at the end is difficult to predict (but that's by design, and there wasn't a doubt in my mind it would be revealed at the end), but even that in itself was rather predictable. If you're a noir fan, none of that's going to matter though. The film's a bit better than many of its peers, mostly thanks to some decent performances and pleasant pacing. The film isn't that long either, which also helped. The presentation is generic, and I didn't care much who'd killed the victim, but that's par for the course. Not the worst noir I've seen, which is something.Read all
Destry Rides Again is first and foremost a romantic comedy, shoehorned into a western setting. The nice thing is that it lacks the usual western machismo I dislike so dearly, turns out that isn't quite enough to make a film like this enjoyable. It's slightly better than most westerns I've seen, but not much. Marlene Dietrich has no problem playing a sassy lady, James Stewart on the other hand is his usual stiff self. They don't really work well as a couple, which is pretty crucial for a romcom. There are some pretty pictures and the pacing isn't too awful, but man do I dislike watching Stewart. He ruins the entire film.Read all
