A tremendously good film showing the veneer of civilization, and giving us a glimpse of the corrupt politicians and mob bosses who really rule the world. I thought of the great Melville, and Alain Delon and wondered if Richard Conte had not been the prototype of his roles, especially in ' Le Samouri ' which is arguably Melville's greatest film. Russell Rouse directs and directs well. and his cast in near perfect. Melodrama ( face slapping etc ) only slightly mars the slick world depicted of anonymous rooms and lifeless interiors. There is nothing to attract the eye except the murders, the ruthless attacks and the soulless relationships. Anne Bancroft acts at too high a pitch and Marilyn Maxwell is there for decoration, but both Broderick Crawford and especially Richard Conte with his cool exterior who steal the film. Both actors show how given the right roles how great they were. A film to encourage anyone to think about how the world turns, and afterwards, if they have not before, watch Melville's films. In a way they were a homage to this kind of film, but sometimes the homage surpasses the source material. ' New York Confidential ' is perhaps not known well enough, and it was certainly one of the toughest of its genre.
Review of New York Confidential
