ross_tm
Joined Apr 2007
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ross_tm's rating
Reviews21
ross_tm's rating
From he trailer I was expecting the movie to revove around the fake moon landing, which TBH is not a great premise, so I had middling expectations. However, that subplot, though an essential plot device, is relatively minor, and the movie overall is really really good! As someone who lived through the 60s I found the portrayal of the spirit of the time to be pretty accurate, and while the story of the PR campaign is surely mainly fiction, it is entirely credible, and lots of fun. Johansson is a wonderful actor, Garcia a revelation, and this is possibly Ray Romano's best role. Tatum was good enough, a bit stiff but that is not inconsistent with the character. Harrelson and Rash were over the top, and detracted from the movie somewhat for me. On balance this was one of the most enjoyable movie nights I've had in a while,
This is a very dark series, and I don't mean in the sense of noir. At least 50% of the shots are at night, in the dark, and pretty much invisible on any normal screen. Evidently the producers couldn't afford lights for the sets. As a result, it is very much like an old-time radio play, and I have to assume that was intentional. Surprisingly, that works OK.
I'm a huge Hammett fan, and usually find the screen adaptations lacking. This one is not based on an actual Hammett book, so I didn't have high expectations for it, but possibly for that reason I enjoyed it very much. Owen's Spade is a little more sophisticated than the one we're used to, and he's a brilliant actor, so is riveting every time he's on the screen, which is pretty much every scene. The rest of the cast is fine as well, especially newcomer Cara Bossom and the luminous Chiara Mastroianni.
The story is ultimately a little implausible, especially the ending, but many of the Continental Op stories were implausible in very much the same way, so the writers are being pretty true to Hammett's legacy.
This is well worth watching if you enjoy stylish, well-acted noir. And if you have a TV or projector where you can crank the brightness up to 12; 11 isn't good enough.
I'm a huge Hammett fan, and usually find the screen adaptations lacking. This one is not based on an actual Hammett book, so I didn't have high expectations for it, but possibly for that reason I enjoyed it very much. Owen's Spade is a little more sophisticated than the one we're used to, and he's a brilliant actor, so is riveting every time he's on the screen, which is pretty much every scene. The rest of the cast is fine as well, especially newcomer Cara Bossom and the luminous Chiara Mastroianni.
The story is ultimately a little implausible, especially the ending, but many of the Continental Op stories were implausible in very much the same way, so the writers are being pretty true to Hammett's legacy.
This is well worth watching if you enjoy stylish, well-acted noir. And if you have a TV or projector where you can crank the brightness up to 12; 11 isn't good enough.
