Dark Passage

There's certainly no lack of noirs, the problem is finding the ones that stand out. Genre fans will point at minor (but crucial) details that keep them interested, that's not much good to someone like me though. That's why I was keeping my fingers crossed when I read about Dark Passage, hoping its gimmick might make a difference.

Parry is convicted for the murder of his wife, though he claims to be innocent. He escapes from prison and vows to find out who framed him. The police are on his tail and Parry realizes that he won't be able to conduct his investigation with people recognizing him. He undergoes plastic surgery hoping that will make things easier.

The first half of the film is shot from Parry's POV, which is fun and effective. It isn't until he goes through with the surgery that the film changes perspective. It was also from that exact point that my interest started waning. The gimmick is pretty nice, without it, this is just a regular old noir.