Crime
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the crime genre.
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The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
The best thing that can be said about The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is that it’s identifiably “Dario Argento” despite being his debut. The gory murders still affect, his eye for framing and following a shot is already ace, and of course, it’s a murder-thriller. Hitchcockian in the best of ways. However, I find… (read more)
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The Conversation
The Conversation is possibly the best example of Francis Ford Coppola‘s directing talent as it goes for something more subtle that his usual hugely bombastic ambition can’t distract from. There’s such an intense focus and purity on the writing and portrayal of this story that it’s one of the most flawless movies I’ve seen, even… (read more)
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Serpico
Al Pacino is the Atlas of Serpico, his central performance is the strength of the entire movie, with other aspects being only a little more than serviceable. The real Serpico seems like a good guy, but the dedication to the presumed facts is likely what drags the entertainment value down. The narrative gets extremely formulaic… (read more)
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High and Low
I feel slightly guilty about rating High and Low this high, because while its deliberate pacing with separating the thriller (the high) from the investigation (the low) is a novel idea that lends it a lot of personality, it’s hard for me to not be taken a bit too low after the incredible first half.… (read more)
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The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon succeeds as well as any mystery could by making nearly every single character a suspect. Anything could happen at any time, and everyone is involved in one large plot roped around one titular bird. Second-guessing every character’s personality and trying to read inbetween their lines becomes a sport that demands constant attention,… (read more)
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Léon: The Professional
I weep for Léon: The Professional because the potential really is there. The premise is great, they really nail the sense of style, and characters are strong (even though Gary Oldman is in the wrong movie; it’s often said because it’s true). But at complete random, the writing dips into mainstream, melodramatic, action movie dreck… (read more)
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Drive
Drive is a mostly conventional thriller that does little to elevate the common tropes used in its genre other than inserting some Taxi Driver. The soundtrack is great isolated, but the brightness doesn’t fit the movie tonally at all. Ryan Gosling’s character is wooden but possesses a modicum more depth than the surrounding cast. There… (read more)
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Trainspotting
Comes a little too close to glorifying drug-induced hedonism, but Trainspotting saves itself eventually when it reveals its true, satirical nature. Leans a bit too much on playful comedy and not enough on drama for me, but anyone who knows or has known people in real life that are like the characters in this movie… (read more)
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Miller’s Crossing
Holy smokes, a Coen bros. movie that doesn’t have anything that really irks me. Miller’s Crossing omits the majority of their blandly juvenile humor and it turns out they actually have talent for creating dignified drama. Makes you wonder what could’ve been. Well, I’m happy to have one of the tightest-written gangster movies I’ve ever… (read more)
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Jackie Brown
Though it arguably has Quentin Tarantino‘s best soundtrack, Jackie Brown is universally considered the “least Tarantino” movie. To a Tarantino fan, that means it lacks all of what makes the director’s films so fun and unique. Jackie Brown is a predictable heist story lacking excitement or memorable characters (particularly the poorly-defined lead herself). The chemistry… (read more)