My brief review of the film

Rating: Null/10 (14 December 2005)

Overall, there is no doubt that this is a good film, and the final half hour is very thrilling, with an excellent conclusion. It unfortunately takes quite a while to reach this point, and in the meantime the film fails to do anything particularly special. On the positive side, it is intriguing, with a complex web of events, the editing gives the film an appropriately exciting style, and the sound recording, whether it be office noises or gunshots, is always on the mark. A couple of things that the film failed to do for me were setting up a feel for the 1950s (the film looks too modern, and there are few indicators of the time period) and maintaining dramatic tension. James Cromwell looks so goofy in his role, and some parts of the film towards the beginning seemed to indicate comedy, in particular with Danny DeVito's character. Guy Pearce is the best of the cast, though perhaps the only one who pulls off a great performance. Kim Basinger won an Oscar, but perhaps for the film's reputation more than anything else. Other than looking a lot like Veronica Lake, there is little else to her role. The violence in the film does not work either. It is too graphic for it to be any dedication to noir, and it is so over-the-top at times that it is as goofy James Cromwell's character is. Perhaps the big problem though is working at what it is trying to say as a film. It is a study of the police force: corruption and working one's way to the top, but these ideas are only really fleshed out towards the end. The film's insight into detective work is good nevertheless, and at the least the film is able to end solidly. So yes, it is a good film with a great conclusion, but the path to getting there could have been improved upon perhaps. I have not read the novel, so maybe that is another thing? Some say that it is a rather good adaptation. Either way, the film is worth a go.