Seeing a different side to Mickey Rooney, a darkly gritty and more understated side rather than the comedy and enthusiastic cheekiness he was known for, immediately piqued my interest. Especially when also hearing that he was apparently very fond of the performance and film, if memory serves correct. Have also enjoyed a good deal of Kevin McCarthy's work and thought that seeing him in a more villainous role would be good.
'Drive a Crooked Road' struck me as well done and well worth watching, and if Rooney was fond of the film and his work here it is not hard to see why. It was great to see a different side to him and see it done as well as it was. Is 'Drive a Crooked Road' perfect or great? No, there are things that could have been done better. Is it good? To me, yes it was and thought it had a lot of things done extremely well. So yes it's recommended, if not quite in a raving fashion.
Am going to begin with what could have been done better. The film doesn't start all that promisingly, with a cheap-looking and atmospherically bland opening scene. The final quarter also could have done with more excitement.
It is agreed too that some of the pace early on is on the drawn out side.
Rooney however excels in a performance that has grit but genuinely moving pathos, this is an example of an actor doing something completely against type and managing to bring out a different side that sees them in a different way. The other standout is McCarthy, who has a deceptively suave charm but underneath that is a sinister slyness. Jack Kelly brings wit and edge to his role and Dianne Foster is alluring. Richard Quine shows that he could do thriller with class and atmosphere, while not one of my favourite directors he did do some films worth seeing, such as 'How to Murder Your Wife', 'Pushover' and 'Bell, Book and Candle'.
With the exception of the opening, 'Drive a Crooked Road' doesn't look too bad. The locations in particular are very nice. There is plenty of gritty tautness in the script and once the film gets going it is crisply paced, darkly suspenseful and absorbingly told. The climax does have tension, even if not a major surprise.
Overall, interesting and well done. 7/10.
'Drive a Crooked Road' struck me as well done and well worth watching, and if Rooney was fond of the film and his work here it is not hard to see why. It was great to see a different side to him and see it done as well as it was. Is 'Drive a Crooked Road' perfect or great? No, there are things that could have been done better. Is it good? To me, yes it was and thought it had a lot of things done extremely well. So yes it's recommended, if not quite in a raving fashion.
Am going to begin with what could have been done better. The film doesn't start all that promisingly, with a cheap-looking and atmospherically bland opening scene. The final quarter also could have done with more excitement.
It is agreed too that some of the pace early on is on the drawn out side.
Rooney however excels in a performance that has grit but genuinely moving pathos, this is an example of an actor doing something completely against type and managing to bring out a different side that sees them in a different way. The other standout is McCarthy, who has a deceptively suave charm but underneath that is a sinister slyness. Jack Kelly brings wit and edge to his role and Dianne Foster is alluring. Richard Quine shows that he could do thriller with class and atmosphere, while not one of my favourite directors he did do some films worth seeing, such as 'How to Murder Your Wife', 'Pushover' and 'Bell, Book and Candle'.
With the exception of the opening, 'Drive a Crooked Road' doesn't look too bad. The locations in particular are very nice. There is plenty of gritty tautness in the script and once the film gets going it is crisply paced, darkly suspenseful and absorbingly told. The climax does have tension, even if not a major surprise.
Overall, interesting and well done. 7/10.