Fugindo do Passado

This movie didn't do well with the critics or at the box office but if you're in a nostalgic mood I'll think you'll enjoy it. The nostalgia is not just for the stars, Newman, Hackforth and Garner but for the whole private eye genre of the forties. All three stars show why they have been tops for so long. At 73 Newman can still make the action and the sex scenes creditable. It gives new hope to men of a certain age everywhere! It is a film that probably plays better on TV than in a movie house. The pace is leisurely but there is some nice sharp dialogue and atmospheric camera work. All this plus a moody score by Leonard Bernstein make for a highly professional entertainment. The more I think about it the more I like it.

With all the action-schlock movies coming out of Hollywood, and all the obsession with special effects, it is nice to have a movie about real characters with some real acting. This is a great cast with Newman in his usual fine form, and Hackman, Sarandon, and Garner reminding us what real acting is all about. I don't know why this film reminded me of L. A. Confidential in the story line, but this film's characters have depth and texture, unlike the cardboard cutouts of that movie. The gritty plot, about past crime, betrayal, friendship, and loyalty, is not without its moments of sardonic humor. As a matter of fact, the movie observes all the conventions of film noir; if it had been made in B&W it would have looked like something from the 1940's. Elmer Bernstein, who has been around forever, can still churn out a great score. A grownup movie for grownups.

Have you ever imagined what would happen to Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe lived to be seventy? A genuine hard-boiled detective film forty years later. The myth behind Newman's accident is hilarious. A must see!

I really liked this film, even though I never heard of it until it was on cable. I was afraid at the start that Newman was going to recycle his curmudgeon character from "Nobody's Fool" but instead he played a very different richly complex character. Kudos also to the rest of the nearly all-star cast. One important plot element absolutely jumped out at me, even though none of the characters seemed to notice, but aside from that I have no complaints. Reese Witherspoon was particularly beautiful here. Grade: A

Most critics wrote off the film because of the poor script and the lackluster direction. Yes, it is true that an average viewer should be able to spot the villain, well before the ex-cop and ex-private investigator does so in the film by comparing life-styles. But that is what young audiences will look for in the movie. What I liked about the script were the subtle dialogues ranging from Samuel Johnson misquotes to acerbic one-liners that developed each of the characters slowly. Take the misty-eyed Lt. Verna (Stockard Channing) greeting Ross as an old acquaintance and then closing the dialogue with the icy "Cuff him!" to the arresting officers. You have an extra-ordinary script here and everywhere in the film.

This film is not action-packed; it is heavy on dialogue requiring a mature mind to take in the clever character buildup. Sarandon's character, in particular, was well developed leading to a charming finale.

Benton never appealed to me as a great director; nonetheless this film's strength lies in his script (co-scripted by Russo), a thoroughly delightful cast ensemble, and a notable camerawork by Sobocinsky.

Finally, I thought the film's name was a wonderful and appropriate selection.