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Farewell, My Lovely (1975)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 6/17, 12/18, 9/20

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6/17: Farewell, My Lovely is vintage Marlowe.

Everything about it is what I hoped for in a Raymond Chandler picture and is exactly how I imagined the book to be. At his hard-boiled best, Robert Mitchum is simply perfect. People had commented that he was too old for the role. I say, "Absolutely not."

In order for the film to be a winner, it must start with a great script. Farewell, My Lovely accomplishes this in a big way. The screenplay is smart and expertly written, and it's funny, sad, and haunting all rolled into one. There are many great lines, which are often through voice-over, such as:

"I sparred with the night clerk for a couple of minutes, but it was like trying to open a sardine can after you broke off the metal lip. There was something about Abraham Lincoln's picture that loosened him up."

"She had all 'A's', none of them on a report card."

"This car sticks out like spats at an Iowa picnic."

"She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket."

"$50, $10 extra if you bleed in my boat."

"Now wait a minute. I've been slapped, scratched, punched, knocked unconscious, drugged, and shot at, looking for your Velma, so quit trying to make a milkshake out of my insides, will you?"

-"How about Baxter Wilson Grayle?"
-"How many people is that?"
-"One."

What a great supporting cast: Jack O'Halloran, John Ireland, Charlotte Rampling, Sylvia Miles, Anthony Zerbe, Kate Murtagh, Harry Dean Stanton, Joe Spinell, and John O'Leary. They're all fantastic. Playing the has-been drunk, Sylvia Miles was the only one to be rewarded with an Oscar nomination; however, did she really deserve it? Just like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Long Goodbye, Sylvester Stallone has a very, very minor role and is, at best, inconsequential. But it's a wonder how he went from being a total unknown to a mega superstar.

All in all, nobody played Philip Marlowe better than Robert Mitchum in Farewell, My Lovely.

12/18: Robert Mitchum is absolutely gold in Farewell, My Lovely.

Nobody played Philip Marlowe better than him. This is the zenith of his acting career. I can listen to the lines all day. It's just terrific writing: "This car sticks out like spats at an Iowa picnic." "She had all 'A's', none of them on a report card." "There was something about Abraham Lincoln's picture that loosened him up." "She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket." "I'll bet you five dollars you can't find a state they're not wanted in."

All in all, Robert Mitchum is Philip Marlowe of all time, and Farewell, My Lovely is a top ten neo-noir masterpiece.

9/20: Farewell, My Lovely is still a great, spooky neo-noir with Robert Mitchum in top form.

The lines are fantastic, and following the mystery is much easier compared to The Big Sleep. Joe DiMaggio's hit streak timestamps the period at 1941. The guy who plays Judge Grayle is Jim Thompson, the author of The Getaway and The Grifters. I have to say the acting is a bit on the weak side; otherwise, it's a '10'. Charlotte Rampling is obviously channeling Lauren Bacall, and her character's implication in the plot did come out of nowhere for me.

All in all, Robert Mitchum proves that he's the best Philip Marlowe ever in Farewell, My Lovely.