A selection of characters with distinct, mostly abrasive personalities and questionable motivations; a curious scenario that treads deeper and shadier, spiraling outward; active narration from the P. I. protagonist: sure enough, this is film noir. Everything you might expect in a film noir is in this film noir. I'm not sure if I'm just developing more of an eye for it, or if Lloyd Ahem's cinematography really is the most noteworthy element of this feature. That's not to say that 'The Brasher doubloon' is bad - hardly! The sets are outstanding, and the crew otherwise turned in good work all around, from costumes and vanity to lighting and art direction. The cast give sharp, terrific performances, if perhaps a tad forced and constrained by the pace and structure of the picture; I would like to see more titles from Nancy Guild, Conrad Janis, and Florence Bates, among others, and maybe that says as much as anything could. This is broadly well made and enjoyable, including David Buttolph's music, and the narrative is ably compelling, keeping us invested to see how the whole miasma is going to resolve. We even get dashes of humor along the way.
All this is well and good. Great, even! Moreover, I'm hard-pressed to name anything that's specifically wrong about this movie. But then, there's also this: could 'The Brasher doubloon' be picked out in a crowd of other film noir, and otherwise mid-century crime dramas? Well done as it may be, it's not particularly remarkable. At one time Hollywood churned out one western after or another; later, one sci-fi flick after another; more recently, one superhero flick after another. In the 40s and 50s it was film noir, and we got them by the boatload. Some phenomenal, must-see classics came from that heavily populated field, and it rather takes a lot to leave a major stamp on the genre among such titans as 'Double indemnity,' 'Touch of evil,' 'Sudden fear,' and others. This one feature is solid, but will it leap out among its brethren? Will I remember much of it even one week from now?
I'm unsure if the adapted screenplay is as tight and articulate in its storytelling as would best serve the plot, but I do quite like the story nonetheless. I had a good time watching, and I'd have no qualms about recommending it to just about anyone. I just wish there were something about the title that especially made a mark, some strong lightning bolt of brilliance, to leave a more lasting impression. No, of course there's no rule that every picture has to be an exemplar, but it would be nice, if asked, to have something to discrete to recall about 'The Brasher doubloon' aside from "a vague recollection of having liked it." Maybe that's enough for some folks, and all this really needed to be. I'd like a smidgen more.
All this is well and good. Great, even! Moreover, I'm hard-pressed to name anything that's specifically wrong about this movie. But then, there's also this: could 'The Brasher doubloon' be picked out in a crowd of other film noir, and otherwise mid-century crime dramas? Well done as it may be, it's not particularly remarkable. At one time Hollywood churned out one western after or another; later, one sci-fi flick after another; more recently, one superhero flick after another. In the 40s and 50s it was film noir, and we got them by the boatload. Some phenomenal, must-see classics came from that heavily populated field, and it rather takes a lot to leave a major stamp on the genre among such titans as 'Double indemnity,' 'Touch of evil,' 'Sudden fear,' and others. This one feature is solid, but will it leap out among its brethren? Will I remember much of it even one week from now?
I'm unsure if the adapted screenplay is as tight and articulate in its storytelling as would best serve the plot, but I do quite like the story nonetheless. I had a good time watching, and I'd have no qualms about recommending it to just about anyone. I just wish there were something about the title that especially made a mark, some strong lightning bolt of brilliance, to leave a more lasting impression. No, of course there's no rule that every picture has to be an exemplar, but it would be nice, if asked, to have something to discrete to recall about 'The Brasher doubloon' aside from "a vague recollection of having liked it." Maybe that's enough for some folks, and all this really needed to be. I'd like a smidgen more.