This Neo-Noir, Shot in Panavision (WS) and B&W, Revisits the "Psychological-Thriller".
About a Femme Fatale (Francis), a Sap (Hunter), and a Rich Abusive Husband (Andrews).
The Hook is "Faking" Insanity to Get Away With Murder (Guess Whose?) and Live "Happily Ever After".
Hunter's Brilliant Scientist Thinks He can Out-Think the Justice System by Reading a Few Books and Building a Tolerance to "Truth Serum".
The Attractive Leads are Stereotypically Slotted and Performed with a Sharp-Edge and Conrad's Direction has a Few Razzle-Dazzle Inclusions via Computer-Screens and a Noir Staple, the Surreal Flashback.
Overall, the Film Suffers a bit From Familiarity of Plot, and the Director Tries to "Modernize" the Look with Wide-Screen, Bright (as opposed to the traditional Film-Noir) Dark Ambience with Lighting and Shadows, with a Very "Today" (1965) Look and Feel.
However, the Story IS Dark and Disturbing.
Messing with the Mind and the Psychiatric Profession..."The Days of Wine and Neurosis",
and Anne Francis' Bubbled-Headed Cutie, with a Toddler in Tow is a "Piece of Work" Typical in the Noir Universe.
But, in the End it is a So-So Retread, Professionally Presented with a Minimum of Artistic Flourishes and Only Feels Like a 1hr 45min "Twilight Zone" Episode.
Not a Revisitation to the "Golden Age" of Film-Noir.
Although Still Good Enough to be...
Worth a Watch
Note...Not to be confused with Douglas Trumbull's 1983 Sci-Fi with the same name.
About a Femme Fatale (Francis), a Sap (Hunter), and a Rich Abusive Husband (Andrews).
The Hook is "Faking" Insanity to Get Away With Murder (Guess Whose?) and Live "Happily Ever After".
Hunter's Brilliant Scientist Thinks He can Out-Think the Justice System by Reading a Few Books and Building a Tolerance to "Truth Serum".
The Attractive Leads are Stereotypically Slotted and Performed with a Sharp-Edge and Conrad's Direction has a Few Razzle-Dazzle Inclusions via Computer-Screens and a Noir Staple, the Surreal Flashback.
Overall, the Film Suffers a bit From Familiarity of Plot, and the Director Tries to "Modernize" the Look with Wide-Screen, Bright (as opposed to the traditional Film-Noir) Dark Ambience with Lighting and Shadows, with a Very "Today" (1965) Look and Feel.
However, the Story IS Dark and Disturbing.
Messing with the Mind and the Psychiatric Profession..."The Days of Wine and Neurosis",
and Anne Francis' Bubbled-Headed Cutie, with a Toddler in Tow is a "Piece of Work" Typical in the Noir Universe.
But, in the End it is a So-So Retread, Professionally Presented with a Minimum of Artistic Flourishes and Only Feels Like a 1hr 45min "Twilight Zone" Episode.
Not a Revisitation to the "Golden Age" of Film-Noir.
Although Still Good Enough to be...
Worth a Watch
Note...Not to be confused with Douglas Trumbull's 1983 Sci-Fi with the same name.