On M List of Movie Reviews

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Murder, My Sweet (1944)

Rate: 2
Viewed: 11/06

11/06: I had high expectations prior to seeing Murder, My Sweet and thought it might be a film noir great.

It turns out to be a talky picture that tries too hard to be in the mold of The Maltese Falcon. Dick Powell is the wrong fit for a private detective. He doesn't have it. In fact, Dick Powell was never a good actor to begin with.

The characters talk too much. Why can't they shut up and let things evolve naturally? I mean, that's how Chinatown worked out. Instead, it tries to use the dialogue to baby me through the mystery.

The definition of film noir as a genre wasn't realized until many years later, and nobody was conscious of it at the time. But for Murder, My Sweet, the filmmakers sure knew what they were doing and tried too hard to make it work.

All in all, Murder, My Sweet is a heavily flawed film noir picture.

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