Monthly Archives: August 2011

Video Game Review: FIFA 11 [Playstation 3, 2010]

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FIFA 11 [Playstation 3, 2010]

FIFA 11
System: Playstation 3 (also available on Xbox 360, PC, Wii, DS, PS2, PSP, and iOS)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada
Release Date: September 28, 2010

I am a casual FIFA player. I have played a handful of editions over the years, dating all the way back to the Sega Genesis era. While this year’s game, FIFA 12, is set to be released at the end of next month, I decided to take a look at last year’s FIFA 11.

Right away I was impressed with the amount of options available. There’s no doubt about it — FIFA 11 is stacked. Besides the standard exhibition mode (which allows you to play as an individual player or goalkeeper as well), other offline options include Tournaments, Live Season, Lounge, Ultimate Team, and a modified Career mode. The latter two modes are most noteworthy.

Ultimate Team is a unique strategy game in which you can buy/sell/trade player cards in an attempt to build the best possible team. Career mode has merged the staple features “Be a Pro” and “Manager Mode” together, and this time you can select whether to be a player, manager or player-manager. This is where I have spent most of my time with the game, and it is ridiculously in-depth.

FIFA 11 [Playstation 3, 2010]

Online play is as bountiful as ever, and still has a great deal of players even to this day. Be warned, however, if you plan on buying this game used you will also need to purchase a separate pass if you wish to play online.

The actual on-the-field gameplay is fluid and easy to get the hang of. One thing I noticed right away was how much more physical the style of play is than what I remember. There are a wide variety of tackling animations, and some of the interactions can get downright nasty. Passing is usually pretty solid, although I did have occasional problems with the computer sending the ball to an unintended target. One issue that bothered me was a lack of urgency from my AI teammates. Every now and then, the opponent would lose the ball and I would have a teammate who would be standing nearby completely miss the opportunity to go after the ball and attack. Little quirks like these are not major issues, but they can certainly be annoying when noticeable.

FIFA 11 [Playstation 3, 2010]

FIFA 11′s presentation is also worth mentioning. The graphics are slick, the animations smooth, and most players match their likenesses visually. Martin Tyler and Andy Grey are reliable on commentary, as always. I was also impressed with the indie-centric soundtrack, which includes the likes of Caribou, Ladytron and The Black Keys. This is more up my alley than the AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne-heavy Madden 11.

For sheer amount of depth and options, FIFA 11 cannot be beat. On top of the game modes/features previously mentioned, the game includes 31 licensed leagues from 24 countries, as well as 39 national teams. With so many teams, players and game modes, it’s difficult to grow tired and/or bored with the game. If some of the on-the-field quibbles were cleaned up, FIFA 11 would be an absolute knockout. As it stands, however, it is pretty damn good but not quite up to the level it can be.

8/10

Movie Review: Our Idiot Brother [2011]

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Our Idiot Brother [2011]

Our Idiot Brother [2011]
Director: Jesse Peretz
Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Country: USA

There’s no question that Paul Rudd is an easily likeable guy. Without him in the lead role in Our Idiot Brother, this review would probably not be positive.

In the movie, Rudd plays Ned, a laidback and, well, idiot stoner. While selling organic food at a farmer’s market, he is propositioned by a police officer (in full uniform) who is looking to buy some pot. Ned, friend to everyone, hooks him up and promptly gets arrested. After gaining an early release from jail due to “good behavior”, Ned heads home to the only place he can still go to — his family. The problem is, no one really wants him to stay with them.

Ned’s mom (Shirley Knight), a lonely wino, is the only one who takes him in with open arms. Ned’s three sisters are all hesitant to have him around, as they all have their own issues. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is an uptight busybody professional who has a strange platonic relationship with her neighbor (criminally underused Adam Scott). Liz (Emily Mortimer) is a housewife married to a pretentious filmmaker (Steve Coogan). Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) is an artsy free-spirit who is in a committed relationship with attorney Cindy (Rashida Jones). All of them have underlying problems that they prefer to keep under wraps. However, Ned’s friendly demeanor and big mouth leads to things coming out in the open, much to the chagrin of his siblings.

It’s a pretty safe bet that most will be able to determine the direction the movie takes early on, but the predictability never becomes a major fault. This is a testament to the entire cast, all of whom are very enjoyable no matter how small their roles.

Our Idiot Brother [2011]

Paul Rudd is, of course, the anchor of the film. I had a hard time getting behind his character, Ned, in the first 1/3 of the movie simply because he was such a doofus. Selling pot to an officer is only the beginning; I had to groan when Ned handed a big wad of cash to a total stranger on the subway while he picked up something he dropped. This is a guy who trusts everyone and expects people to live with the same sense of humanity that he practices daily. It’s a little unbearable at first just how stupid he is, but I couldn’t help but get won over by the end simply because of Paul Rudd’s natural charisma.

The rest of the cast is great, and it includes some personal favorites of mine such as Adam Scott, Zooey Deschanel and Rashida Jones (whom they even managed to make look unflattering, which I didn’t think was possible). And of course, it is fun to see Steve Coogan play the asshole that he does so well.

The story is thin, but sweet, much like the overall film. Our Idiot Brother starts off a little slow, but picks up by the halfway point. By the end, it is difficult not to feel good about the movie. Ned may be an idiot, but the world would be better off if everyone shared some of his kindhearted traits. Our Idiot Brother is a good way to close out the summer.

7/10

Full Game Trials: Red Faction: Guerrilla and Tomb Raider Underworld

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One of my favorite perks for being a Playstation Plus member is the access to a good-sized library of full game trials. While Sony mostly puts older titles out there, there have been several that I missed out on over the years. I thought it would be fun to take a look at two older games and see what I think of them in their first hour of gameplay.

Red Faction: Guerrilla
Red Faction: Guerrilla (available on PS3/Xbox 360/PC)
I have been interested in this third person adventure game for a while now, so I was happy that Playstation Plus added it to their full game trial collection. Its story is pretty generic — your brother is part of a rebel faction, he gets killed, you join their forces — but it’s enjoyable enough fighting for what you feel is the right cause.

I had a blast destroying the game’s environment, which is actually a huge part of the gameplay. The initial weapon of choice, a sledgehammer, is great for bashing everything to bits. Got a pipe in the way? Smash it up and move along. Throwing grenades onto enemy buildings, detonating and watching the structures crumble is a lot of fun. Campaign missions are fairly basic, but I had fun causing mayhem regardless.

Would I keep playing? Yeah, I think I would. The in-game destruction physics are great, and I dug the game’s Mars-like setting. I’ll keep an eye out for it in the bargain bin.

Tomb Raider: Underworld
Tomb Raider: Underworld (available on PS3/Xbox 360/PC)
I haven’t played a Tomb Raider game in years, and I didn’t particularly like them back then. I thought it would be interesting to see if the games have improved at all over the years.

Underworld throws you right into the action, providing a tutorial as you push forward through a burning building. Right off the bat I noticed issues with the controls. Something feels off with them, and the camera has a tendency to swing around involuntarily. After being transported to a boat, I found it quite comical that Lara Croft (the main character, as usual) couldn’t actually do anything on board. When I tried to get to the steering wheel, she put her hands up and pushed back as if she hit an invisible wall. Right.

The gameplay consists of platforming and exploration, neither of which are executed very well. The platforming is a bit sloppy, and it caused me to plummet to my death several times in a short span. The exploration isn’t particularly enthralling either since the game’s graphics aren’t anything special. An early enemy — the kraken — looked cool, but the game certainly shows its age. Also, how the hell can Lara pick up so many pieces of treasure and stuff them in her backpack? Ridiculous.

Would I keep playing? No. It’s hard to go back to a mediocre platformer after playing through the Uncharted games, both of which do everything so much better. It’s probably time for Ms. Croft to hang up her boots.

Blogathon: Cool Off With The Classics

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Another month, another movie blogathon! Marc over at Go, See, Talk came up with another great idea that is sure to start making its rounds in the film blogging community. The idea here is to “Cool Off With The Classics” — that is, to compile a list of black & white classics you would watch to “beat the heat.” Since I have been digging into more classics than usual lately, I thought this would be a fun event to participate in. So here we go… ten of my favorite B&W movies.

12 Angry Men [1957]
1) 12 Angry Men [1957]
Sidney Lumet’s early classic was one of my first experiences with a black & white film. I watched this for the first time in high school and could not believe that an “old movie” set in a courtroom could maintain my interest from beginning to end. An incredible film, and one that I absolutely must see again soon.

The Third Man [1949]
2) The Third Man [1949]
I saw this for the first time earlier this year and fell in love with it. There is so much to like about this movie, and of course it has some of the most memorable moments in cinematic history (such as Orson Welles’ big reveal). The closing shot is one of the best I have ever seen.

Crashout [1955]
3) Crashout [1955]
I caught this earlier this month at the Music Box Theatre’s awesome Noir City Festival. This rarely-seen prison break movie is a lot of fun, and surprisingly brutal for its time period.

Among the Living [1941]
4) Among the Living [1941]
Another rarely-screened movie that I caught at the Noir City Festival. This is a wonderful noir/horror hybrid with great performances from Albert Dekker and Susan Hayward.

Citizen Kane [1941]
5) Citizen Kane [1941]
This is the movie that made me excited to see more classics. We watched the entirety of the film in my university’s Music & Film class, and I was quite frankly amazed. One of the best of all time, obviously, and it felt great to finally understand the lyrics to the Kane-referencing White Stripes song, “The Union Forever“.

City Lights
6) City Lights [1931]
My 50 Movies Project is already reaping dividends, as it provided the means for me to catch this Chaplin silent classic. Words are not needed for Chaplin’s dynamic Tramp character, and his endless pursuit of love is inspiring (with hilarious results).

The Day The Earth Stood Still [1951]
7) The Day The Earth Stood Still [1951]
I am not a big sci-fi fan, so I was a little skeptical about this movie. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Intelligent, entertaining and backed by Bernard Herrmann’s incredible therimin-driven score, this is one of the better sci-fi films I have seen, regardless of age.

The Killing [1956]
8 ) The Killing [1956]
One of Kubrick’s earliest films is one of my favorites from him, and it has been heavily influential over the years (most notably for Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs). An exciting, well-crafted heist noir.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. [1928]
9) Steamboat Bill, Jr. [1928]
I have only seen two, maybe three, Buster Keaton movies, but this is the one I have enjoyed the most. Lots of laughs and some ridiculous physical stunts make this one of the more memorable silent films I have seen.

Seven Samurai [1954]
10) Seven Samurai [1954]
It is a testament to the film’s brilliance that I am able to sit through the full three hours without ever once growing bored or impatient. I saw it for the first time last year and it just blew me away. The quintessential samurai film.

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Be sure to check out the rest of the participants in this blogathon, and feel free to join in on the fun as well.

Beer Review: The Magician [Short's Brewing Company]

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The Magician [Short's Brewing Company]

The Magician
Brewery: Short’s Brewing Company (Bellaire, Michigan)
Style: Irish Red Ale
ABV: 6.0%

Last weekend I went to a craft beer festival in Western Michigan. The event was a rousing success (900+ people showed up) and I had a great time. The usual suspects were there — Bell’s, Founders and New Holland, to name a few — but I opted to go for smaller names that I can’t easily find in Chicago. Short’s Brewing Company, located way up north in Bellaire, Michigan, stood out to me. I knew them from their collaborations with local favorite Half Acre, and those releases were always a lot of fun (and always Ween inspired).

I tried a couple of their beers at the festival, both of which I enjoyed, and decided to bring some back with me. At a surprisingly great craft beer store in Ludington, I picked up a six pack of a brew not found at the event — The Magician.

The bottle labels this as a Dark Red London Style Ale with the caption “The eloquent, swift and skillful master who makes things happen.” When poured into a glass, the beer is a reddish brown color, and its aroma, while tame, brings hints of caramel and toffee. These traits remain present while tasting, though nothing in particular stands out. There is a slight amount of bitterness afterward.

The Magician goes down smooth and is easily drinkable, but I can’t help but feel that it’s missing a certain something. While the flavors bounce around, it doesn’t really have anything that rises above the rest. Still a quality beer, no doubt, but it could use a little boost.

7/10

Feature: Netflix’s Top 10 Recommendations For Me

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It’s no secret that I am a huge advocate for Netflix. This service is one of the greatest creations using the internet, and apparently I am not the only one who thinks so. One of my favorite resources on Netflix is its recommendations system that it provides based on your ratings of other films. The algorithm behind this has improved drastically since the service’s early days, and now it continually provides helpful suggestions. I thought it would be fun to take a look at my current batch of Top 10 Recommendations and see if any of them stand out to me.

Beginning with number one…

Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... [2008-2009]
1) Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… [2008-2009]
Recommended based on my interest in: None listed.
Ok, this is a pretty interesting suggestion. I never really got into Elvis Costello’s music, although I know he has a large following. I had no idea he had a television show. It sounds like something I would dig — Costello interviews musical icons and has them perform alternative versions of songs. There’s an episode with Lou Reed that sounds intriguing, so I think I’ll give that a shot.

Louis C.K.: Hilarious [2009]
2) Louis C.K.: Hilarious [2009]
Recommended based on my interest in: Louie, Louis C.K.: Chewed Up and SNL: The Best of Christopher Walken
I started watching the TV series Louie over the summer, and I love the show. I also caught one of his standup specials on Instant Watch, which was equally hilarious. I won’t get this one on DVD, but if it shows up via streaming I will definitely check it out.

Lucky Louie [2006]
3) Lucky Louie [2006]
Recommended based on my interest in: Louie, Louis C.K.: Chewed Up and Eastbound and Down
Yeah, I really need to watch his first series as well. Heard great things about it; it’s a shame that HBO cancelled it so quickly.

Persona [1967]
4) Persona [1967]
Recommended based on my interest in: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Chinatown and A Clockwork Orange
I just watched my first Bergman film recently (Wild Strawberries) and really enjoyed it. I definitely want to watch more of his work, though I find it funny that Netflix recommended me this based on my interest in Kubrick more than anything.

Le Cercle Rouge [1970]
5) Le Cercle Rouge [1970]
Recommended based on my interest in: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Chinatown and A Clockwork Orange
Netflix labels this a “noir thriller” with keywords “Cerebral, Dark, Exciting, Suspenseful”. Never heard of this one, but it sounds right up my alley.

Fail-Safe [1964]
6) Fail-Safe [1964]
Recommended based on my interest in: 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon and 2001: A Space Odyssey
I have heard this compared to Dr. Strangelove quite a bit, and I really need to see both of them. I’ll probably catch the Kubrick classic first since it’s on my 50 Movies Project, but I plan on watching both at some point.

The Paper Chase [1973]
7) The Paper Chase [1973]
Recommended based on my interest in: The Graduate, Dial M for Murder and 12 Angry Men
Hmm… this probably would have never slipped onto my radar if it weren’t for Netflix. Not sure if it’s my cup of tea, but it has good reviews. I’ll keep it in mind.

The Chaser [2008]
8 ) The Chaser [2008]
Recommended based on my interest in: A Clockwork Orange, Seven Samurai and Jackie Brown
A Korean thriller that I have never heard of. I am always interested in these and will definitely add it to the queue, especially since it’s on Instant Watch.

MST3K: Merlin's Shop [1999]
9) MST3K: Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders [1999]
Recommended based on my interest in: MST3K: Horrors of Spider Island, This Is Spinal Tap and South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Nothing wrong with some MST3K! Last I saw, however, they had a bunch of episodes on Instant Watch. I would rather watch those first than grab this DVD.

Bus 174 [2003]
10) Bus 174 [2003]
Recommended based on my interest in: None listed.
Portuguese documentary about an event I never heard of — in June 2000, a man hijacked a Rio de Janeiro bus carrying 12 passengers, aiming to kill all aboard. Sounds pretty crazy, and I am always up for a good documentary. Into the queue it goes.

I think Netflix was dead-on with its recommendations overall. Pretty much everything sounds like something I would like, and the majority of the titles went right into my already-too-large queue. Good stuff; I will do a future writeup about my afterthoughts at some point.

Movie Project #4: The Hustler [1961, Rossen]

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The 50 Movies Project is a personal “marathon” of mine. In June, I compiled a list of 50 movies that I felt I needed to see by the end of the year. Old, new, foreign, English — it doesn’t matter. These are all movies that I have heard a lot about and have been wanting to see for some time. This project gives me a way to stay focused on the goal.

The Hustler [1961, Rossen]

The Hustler [1961]
Director: Robert Rossen
Genre: Drama/Romance/Sport
Language: English
Country: USA

I am ashamed to admit that I know very little about Paul Newman. I know the story of Newman’s Own, and I have seen him in a couple of films (Slap Shot, Road to Perdition), but outside of that my knowledge is extremely lacking. After watching The Hustler, I can’t help but feel that Paul Newman was the fucking man.

Seriously, this is one hell of a character study that just so happens to use the game of pool as its backdrop. Newman is just amazing, as are the rest of the main cast: Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, and Piper Laurie.

As a small-time pool hustler, “Fast” Eddie Felston (Newman) has one goal: to beat the best in the game, Minnesota Fats (Gleason). After a quick meet-and-greet, the two square off in an epic battle. Eddie gets the upper hand early, almost effortlessly swindling thousands of dollars from his opponent. Several hours and countless drinks later, Fats takes control and wins back nearly dollar that he had lost earlier in the evening. Defeated and now flat broke, Eddie has seemingly hit rock bottom.

The Hustler [1961, Rossen]

It is at this point that Eddie meets Sarah Packard (Laurie), an alcoholic college girl who is full of her own problems. An unlikely duo, the two of them hit it off and build a relationship. However, when fellow gambler Bert Gordon offers to take Eddie on the road, things get rocky and the true colors of all involved start to come out. As much as the movie is about Fast Eddie, the stories of the other three main characters are just as important. With such great performances from all of them, it’s hard not to get attached to their characters no matter how flawed they are.

I enjoyed The Hustler quite a bit. Pool wasn’t as big of a focus as I thought it would be, and in fact the movie is just a fantastic piece of storytelling. I thought the first half of the film was a little slow, but once it got into fleshing out the main characters it became rather enthralling.

Two things I determined after watching this movie: 1) I need to watch its sequel, The Color of Money. 2) I really need to see more of Paul Newman’s work. He really blew me away here.

8/10

Movie Review: Source Code [2011, Jones]

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Source Code [2011]

Source Code [2011]
Director: Duncan Jones
Genre: Mystery/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Language: English
Country: USA

Groundhog Day meets… Speed?

Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhall) is having a hell of a day. He wakes up on board a Chicago-bound Metra commuter train, and he is no idea how he got there. Worse yet, he appears to be living in someone else’s body. This person, a school teacher named Sean, is sitting across from his good friend Christina (Michelle Monaghan). Everything appears to be business as usual until the train explodes after exactly eight minutes, killing everyone on board. Stevens wakes up in an unfamiliar location and is quickly contacted by Air Force Captain Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), who briefs him on his situation. Stevens learns that there was a bomb on the train, and that he is being used as part of a secret U.S. Military program to figure out who placed the explosives. He is forced to repeat the same eight minute sequence over and over until he determines who was responsible for the destruction.

Source Code [2011]

Source Code is pretty intense, with several twists and turns amidst the frantic sci-fi thriller pacing. Even though it presents some interesting philosophical and ethical questions, the movie has a mostly benevolent attitude throughout (somewhat similar to The Adjustment Bureau in this regard). There are several moments where one will need to suspend their disbelief, but this is to be expected given the plot premise.

It’s easy to get behind the character of Colter Stevens thanks to a great performance from Gyllenhall. He brings a certain human element to his character, even bringing the laughs during dire moments. Michelle Monaghan does well despite having what is essentially a throwaway role. I was most impressed with Vera Farmiga, who excels despite being on a computer screen during many of her scenes. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. Jeffrey Wright is also another standout here as the leader of the Source Code program, effortlessly showing he is the man in charge.

Source Code [2011]

I enjoyed Source Code about as much as I enjoyed The Adjustment Bureau, which is to say quite a bit. Duncan Jones’ title digs deeper and is perhaps “smarter” overall but both are a lot of fun. I would have opted for a different ending in Source Code, but it hardly ruined the experience for me. Fast-paced, intelligent and suspenseful, Source Code is one of the better movies to come out this year.

8/10

Video Game Review: Wipeout HD [Playstation 3, 2008]

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Wipeout HD [Playstation 3, 2008]

Wipeout HD
System: Playstation 3
Publisher: SCEE
Developer: SCE Studio Liverpool
Release Date: September 25, 2008

Slick visuals, a pounding techno soundtrack, fast-paced racing gameplay. Wipeout HD has everything I love in a racing title, and I am shocked that it took me this long to check it out. Kudos to Sony for making this a part of their Welcome Back package a couple months ago.

I have never played a Wipeout title before, so this is all new to me. Those who have played the PSP titles, Wipeout Pure and Wipeout Pulse, will feel right at home here, however, since eight of their combined tracks have been remade for HD. The lack of original content may irk series veterans, but it’s pure bliss for a newbie like me.

Wipeout HD [Playstation 3, 2008]

In Wipeout HD, you pilot an anti-gravity craft through a variety of different races. Some are simple — i.e. regular lap races and time trials — but others are unique, such as the trippy-as-fuck Zone mode. The Zone mode is unlike anything I have ever experienced in a racing game. In this, you are racing alone on a track that keeps pushing you forward faster and faster until you are at breakneck speeds. The kicker is that the environment’s colors frequently change into a vibrant array of neon imagery that make it feel as if you are racing through an out-of-control acid trip. Seriously, it’s insane.

The game’s campaign mode throws all of these different types of races at you via eight different “levels”. The races start off easy enough, but they get increasingly more difficult the deeper you go. Around the halfway mark, there is a noticeable raise in difficulty, and it can become a challenge to even earn a bronze model at that point. Still, the races are quick and very, very fun, so even those who are easily frustrated will keep pushing forward.

Not enough can be said about Wipeout HD’s presentation. The game’s 1080p and 60 frames-per-second visuals are absolutely stunning, and the in-game racing is as smooth as can be. Quite frankly, this is amazing for a downloadable title. The techno soundtrack fits the gameplay perfectly, complete with tracks from some of my personal favorites such as Booka Shade and Mason.

Wipeout HD [Playstation 3, 2008]

As if Wipeout HD wasn’t amazing enough in its own regard, Sony included the Fury add-on pack in the Welcome Back package. Fury adds eight new tracks, 13 new ship models and three new game modes, all of which essentially double the single player content. Incredible.

I am smitten with Wipeout HD. This is exactly the kind of arcade racer that I enjoy, and I haven’t played such a game that brings everything together the way this does. If you missed out on getting it for free, rest assured that the bundle is still a steal at its $24.99 price tag. Brace yourself for a wild ride.

9/10

Music Box Theatre’s Noir City: Chicago 3: Among the Living [1941] and The Glass Key [1935]

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I had such a great time on Tuesday night with the “Men and Women of Conviction” double feature that I had to go back the next evening for another pairing of Film Noir. Wednesday’s selections were to be a double bill of Stuart Heisler films: Among the Living and The Glass Key. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up with the film company and the Music Box received the original 1935 version of The Glass Key instead. I was looking forward to seeing the 1942 remake, which is said to be the better of the two, but it was still a fun evening all the same.
Among the Living [1941, Stuart Heisler]
Among the Living [1941, Stuart Heisler]
A rarely screened noir/horror hybrid about twin brothers — one insane, one not. After their father passes away, the mentally ill brother escapes from the mansion where he was secretly locked up and leaves to start a new life. Problem is that this man is not properly suited for reality and ends up becoming a serial killer on the loose.

Albert Dekker plays the twins, the main difference being one is clean shaven and one is not. He is quite excellent in the lead role(s), especially when he is acting peculiar as the evil brother. Some of his interactions with his newfound gold-digging lady friend (played by Susan Hayward, who just oozes sex appeal) are hilarious. In fact, this movie was a hell of a lot funnier than I expected it to be, and it was a blast throughout. Definitely look it up if you get a chance. 8/10

The Glass Key [1935, Frank Tuttle]
The Glass Key [1935, Frank Tuttle]
This early adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s classic novel was noticeably different from the other three films I had seen at the festival. A heavier emphasis was placed on dialogue, and the movie was lacking in some of the more traditional noir elements. Still, it proved to be a capable replacement.

I enjoyed George Raft’s lead performance as the slick-talking “fixer” who is trying to clear his politician employer’s name from a possible murder charge. I didn’t feel that this movie was as memorable as the others, and it took me a while to get a feel for what exactly was going on in the first 1/4 of the film. However, the ending moments were brilliant, and the major plot twist was an unexpected surprise. Now I’m curious to see the 1942 remake. 6.5/10