This is by all means a 10/10 film, the very kind that I watch an actor's entire filmography to find. After having watched the film, I was absolutely shocked to learn that it actually lost the studio money and that it hardly has a wikipedia article at all.
Perhaps I appreciate things in a different way than some other people: a lot of reviewers here have written off this film as being second-rate, or something only that die-hard films of the protagonists would enjoy.
The fact is that when watching this film, I couldn't help but say to myself "there's something amazing about this film." Essentially, it's the way that the camera would focus on faces in a titled way; it's how three or so times they utilized a scene of angled talking faces being done over in a barber/manicure salon to provide for distinct segmenting transitions.
Though maybe most of all is the cast itself, I mean Joan Bennett and Cary Grant. Joan Bennett here, as apparently I gather she does in this period in general, plays that perfect sort of woman that only existed in this era. She's full of energy and does everything with such coordination and awareness, it's simply glorious to see in another person.
Then there's the little things. The scene where the two young guys were called and they were laying on a bed sideways on their backs smoking, and how after that they started talking about airplanes and parachutes -- or when the baby-killer was listening to the radio about flowers, and seemed to have a genuine interest in horticulture in general. Or what about Cary Grant leaving the police station and scraping his cigarette against the engraved plaque in the wall, the one which exhorts the necessity of justice for freedom to work?
The thing is, this is clearly a film where a ton of thought and innovation has been poured into it: this film was obviously someone's darling. Those little things like that aren't found in the normal routine film either past or modern, and that's what makes it so spectacular.
By all means, this is a cult film, and it is absolutely "ahead of its time" while also being so quintessentially a part of it.
A total thrill, and something I hope to see again.
Perhaps I appreciate things in a different way than some other people: a lot of reviewers here have written off this film as being second-rate, or something only that die-hard films of the protagonists would enjoy.
The fact is that when watching this film, I couldn't help but say to myself "there's something amazing about this film." Essentially, it's the way that the camera would focus on faces in a titled way; it's how three or so times they utilized a scene of angled talking faces being done over in a barber/manicure salon to provide for distinct segmenting transitions.
Though maybe most of all is the cast itself, I mean Joan Bennett and Cary Grant. Joan Bennett here, as apparently I gather she does in this period in general, plays that perfect sort of woman that only existed in this era. She's full of energy and does everything with such coordination and awareness, it's simply glorious to see in another person.
Then there's the little things. The scene where the two young guys were called and they were laying on a bed sideways on their backs smoking, and how after that they started talking about airplanes and parachutes -- or when the baby-killer was listening to the radio about flowers, and seemed to have a genuine interest in horticulture in general. Or what about Cary Grant leaving the police station and scraping his cigarette against the engraved plaque in the wall, the one which exhorts the necessity of justice for freedom to work?
The thing is, this is clearly a film where a ton of thought and innovation has been poured into it: this film was obviously someone's darling. Those little things like that aren't found in the normal routine film either past or modern, and that's what makes it so spectacular.
By all means, this is a cult film, and it is absolutely "ahead of its time" while also being so quintessentially a part of it.
A total thrill, and something I hope to see again.