The Long Goodbye

So far Altman's film haven't really impressed me. My expectations of The Long Goodbye were pretty dim, as it's one of his earlier films and I generally don't take well to 70s crime. But lo and behold, Altman laid-back style and Gould's fine performance made this a pretty fun flick after all.

Marlowe is a private detective who helps Terry, a friend of him, escape to Mexico. The next day the police appear on Marlowe's doorstep, as Terry's wife has killed herself. The police take him in, once it's clear that this is a suicide case Marlowe is released again. He doesn't trust the story and starts an investigation on his own.

The recurring musical theme (in different executions) is fun, the lead character is charismatic and Altman doesn't take the story too serious, which is always a plus. The plot itself is pretty basic and the film could've been a bit shorter, other than that it's one of the better USA 70s classics I've seen to date.