In 1944, Dick Powell made MURDER MY SWEET. It was perhaps his greatest performance and a welcome change from his pretty-boy crooner image earlier in his career. Playing Phillip Marlow, he was tough, sarcastic and mesmerizing. So, not surprisingly, when I learned that a year later he made another gritty noir-like film (CORNERED), I had to see it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very talky disappointment.
Powell plays a Canadian pilot was had been shot down in Occupied France during the war. There, he met a woman and married . Ultimately, however, he was caught and imprisoned by the Germans and she was killed by some French informer. When the film begins, the war is over and Powell is determined to find the informer and make him pay with his life.
The trail, however, is quite cold in France. But, on a lark, he learns that the man MIGHT be in Argentina and simply blunders into a pack of ex-Nazis and Nazi sympathize s like a drunk goat in an antique shop! Again and again, Powell's character comes off as just plain stupid--showing no grace or style--just punching and blindly walking into one dangerous mess after another. And, as a Hollywood film, he's able to miraculously avoid death again and again! In addition to Powell's very poorly written character, the film fails ultimately and is completely mediocre due to its very, very talky script. While there is some action, there isn't nearly enough and most of the time the film just consists of Powell talking to people and the people, naturally, lying. The script simply didn't rise to the occasion and this dark film is flat.
Powell plays a Canadian pilot was had been shot down in Occupied France during the war. There, he met a woman and married . Ultimately, however, he was caught and imprisoned by the Germans and she was killed by some French informer. When the film begins, the war is over and Powell is determined to find the informer and make him pay with his life.
The trail, however, is quite cold in France. But, on a lark, he learns that the man MIGHT be in Argentina and simply blunders into a pack of ex-Nazis and Nazi sympathize s like a drunk goat in an antique shop! Again and again, Powell's character comes off as just plain stupid--showing no grace or style--just punching and blindly walking into one dangerous mess after another. And, as a Hollywood film, he's able to miraculously avoid death again and again! In addition to Powell's very poorly written character, the film fails ultimately and is completely mediocre due to its very, very talky script. While there is some action, there isn't nearly enough and most of the time the film just consists of Powell talking to people and the people, naturally, lying. The script simply didn't rise to the occasion and this dark film is flat.