Rigby Reardon: [voice-over] There's one thing I liked about Monica... the words "I can't" weren't in her vocabulary.
Rigby Reardon: Monica, I want you to do something for me.
Monica: I can't.
Rigby Reardon: I guess she'd added them since the last time I'd seen her.
One look at the movie poster will tell you that this isn’t a serious movie and being “Filmed in Detecto Vision” we also know that it’s not going to be your average flick! But seriously, if that doesn’t tell you something, the quote above should give you an idea. This is a comedy with a real smart difference. There are only a few main actors in the movie, the others have been gleaned from various 40’s movies. The script is smartly written to be intertwined with footage from 40’s noir films with some hilarious results. This really is a crack-up of a movie that’s worth seeing!
The main lead is Rigby Reardon (Steve Martin) who plays a typical 40’s Private Eye in his own hilarious manner. On one boring day whilst reading the newspaper Juliet Forrest (Rachael Ward) knocks on his office door and asks him to investigate her father’s death as she believes he was murdered. The tale then starts where we get to know what sort of person Reardon is and the risks he will take to solve the mystery and get the girl in the end.
The amazing part of the movie is just how well the script has been written to combine this modern footage with old 40’s film stars’ footage from a variety of movie classics. We have the likes of Veronica Lake (The Glass Key), Alan Ladd (This Gun for Hire), Barbara Stanwyck (Sorry, Wrong Number), Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend), Ava Gardner (The Killers, The Bribe), Burt Lancaster (The Killers), Humphry Bogart (The Big Sleep), Cary Grant (Suspicion), Ingrid Bergman (Notorious), Bette Davis (Deception), Lana Turner and Edward Arnold (Johnny Eager), Kirk Douglas (I Walk Alone), Fred McMurray (Double Indemnity), James Cagney (White Heat), Charles Laughton and Vincent Price (The Bribe). Even the director Carl Reiner stars in the movie as Field Marshal Wilfried von Kluck.
There is the odd occasion of swearing and a few sexual references but still nothing like what you would see today. There are plenty of witty and smart comments and doesn’t take itself seriously though that’s exactly what the intention is. I can only imagine the hours it would have taken to view these 40’s movies and then pick out the characters required, write a script and finally piece it all together but in all honesty, it’s worth it. The movie is a blast to watch, though sadly it’s probably mostly unknown among the public which is a real shame.
The DVD reviewed is an Australian release ($7 at JB Hifi) and is basically a rehashed of quite an old release, so much so that it’s not 16:9 enhanced (which basically means that it will appear in letterbox style on your widescreen TV with black bars at the sides, top and bottom – its design was for the old square CRT televisions). This is quite a sad effort for a 2013 re-release. Apart from that the image looks and sounds fine, though as indicated above you just see a picture in the middle of your TV as opposed to filling up your TV screen. The DVD also contains a trailer for the movie as a bonus. There is a Bluray available from Italy however it will cost quite a bit to import. There is a digital version available on Google Play and no doubt iTunes so you can hire or buy it through them. At least that would be a full HD 16:9 experience which will walk over the existing DVD. It’s just a shame that there isn’t a better release available. There are DVD’s available from UK/USA however their quality is unknown. As for marking, the image has been marked down due to being non 16:9 enhanced, but it is still good quality and sharp where it needs to be. The audio is adequate 2 channel stereo and the only extra is a trailer.
(a scene starring Veronica Lake from “The Glass Key” that has been inserted into the movie)
Overall a great movie that will give you a darn good laugh, and its especially good if you also enjoy the old movies as its sheds some light on some of the top actors/actresses from the 40’s. Don’t go in expecting a deep engrossing story but like most comedies, sit back and enjoy the show. Highly recommended.
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It's a hilarious film isn't it? The first time I watched it some years ago, even though I recognised almost all of the '40s film stars, I hadn't seen most of the noirs yet, except for Suspicion and Notorious. When I watched it again this week, I was able to appreciate it much more - as I recognised many scenes/characters from The Killers, Double Indemnity, This Gun for Hire, The Glass Key, The Big Sleep, In a Lonely Place...I just wish they had also included Robert Mitchum whose name is
ReplyDeletesynonymous with film noir.
As you mentioned, the film is very cleverly done! It includes many elements of noir, even the confusing, convoluted plot like The Big Sleep! :)