Neo-Noir Hall of Fame

Red Rock West

Nic Cage plays a wandering former Marine with a damaged knee in search of a job. Coming upon Red Rock, he is mistaken for a killer hired to murder a wife. Cage takes the money, but makes a decision that will lead him down a path that will leave you shaking your head asking “Why?”

It’s not a bad question. Not really. Mikes a nice guy after all and tries to do the right thing often. It’s just those right things turn out to dig him into a deeper hole. The acting is fine, Dennis Hopper, JT Walsh, and Lara Flynn Boyle all are ok here, with Hopper and Walsh being particularly good. But by the 1 hour mark, I can already figure out how it’ll mostly play out.

The formula is something I'm well used to. Clint Eastwood is playing a cop - a detective, Wes Block. He'd just come off of playing Inspector Harry Callahan in the fourth Dirty Harry film the year previously, Sudden Impact. He'd recently played a cop in The Gauntlet. He'd play cops and secret service agents in the future. There's something different about the cop he plays in Tightrope though, and I hesitate to try and explain what it is. Let's just say Block has a fondness for the swinging lifestyle which he often manages to combine with questioning witnesses and checking leads in this film. He is, I think, the horniest character Clint Eastwood has ever played. I'm used to hookers propositioning detectives in movies - it happens all the time - but I'm not used to the detectives lapping it up like Wes Block does. It gets him in deep as well, for it turns out a serial strangler is killing the ladies he's sleeping with (and he's sleeping with many.) Somehow, there's a love interest as well, and two daughters to juggle in this fun Eastwood caper.

Block is a New Orleans detective, divorced with a soft spot for stray dogs. The killer has left another victim, with some of the evidence he leaves behind - traces of the sneakers he always wears, red fibers, glass residue and barley. He took his time with the kill, before raping the victim and establishing the fact he has an O blood type. Advising Block on the case is Beryl Thibodeaux (Geneviève Bujold) who runs a rape prevention program - someone Block slowly begins to trust and then get to know on more intimate terms. Also helping is his colleague Det. Joe Molinari (Dan Hedaya). The killer has taken note of who's on his scent though, and starts to taunt Block with notes and cryptic clues - killing a gay man he set Block up with, before Block can get to him and complete the play. It becomes a personal game with Block having to fear for the safety of his daughters Amanda (Alison Eastwood) and Penny (Jenny Beck), and his own career when many of the women he's questioned and had sex with turn up dead - possibly averting suspicion onto him. If Block can't bring this guy in soon, something disastrous is going to befall Block and his family.

I have to admit there's some fun to be had here. When Beryl teaches her self-defense class, she uses a crude mannequin with tennis balls as it's most sensitive spot. When she kicks it in the balls (literally) the eyes light up and the figure gives a mechanical groan. In the meantime, Block catches one of the balls which bounce right at him. One of those films where you start making mental notes - "Well, it has that in it." I was only a little disappointed that while there is a payoff to that scene, it's not as gratuitous or funny. Richard Tuggle (or Clint Eastwood, who apparently took over from Tuggle early and directed most of the flick) wanted a more serious tone for most of this movie. Another fantastic recurring gag is Block's younger daughter not knowing what "hard-on" means. When Block explains that it's something that happens when a man really likes a lady she delights in shouting "You can have a hard-on anytime you want!" in front of everybody when Block tells her about the growing romance he's having with Beryl. Funny, funny moment.

The more serious stuff - which is really the majority of this film - boils down to the fact that it's subject is as sobering as it gets. There's nothing explicit - this isn't Irréversible territory - but obviously rape and rape prevention isn't something that can be dealt with flippantly. It was nice to see that there was room here for a strong female character being proactive, and relying on herself and her skills when confronted. There were too many Clint Eastwood films during the 1970s that veered quite hard in a misogynistic direction - to the detriment of the films, making them hard to enjoy. It seems that Eastwood himself was growing as a person - he does seem to be the kind of person to have learned and improved himself throughout his life. He was starring in and making a movie here where he could be proud to share screen time with his daughter, aside from the fact that in it his character sleeps with various hookers, strippers, swingers and such. I'm sure he'd have described it as a "phase" the divorced Block was going through to anyone questioning.

Anyhow - the movie finishes with a great chase sequence, and the procedural aspect of the film about this investigation is also strong - evidence being gathered, crime labs doing their work and detectives following leads. It's never confusing, but concise. Dirty Harry cinematographer Bruce Surtees was behind the camera - he'd been with Eastwood since The Beguiled in 1971. That night sequence with the helicopters pointing their spotlights at Block and the perp running were fantastic. Jazz composer Lennie Niehaus gets into his best New Orleans mood and the score is dripping with sexy sax melodies - I appreciated the film going in this direction and not simply phoning in your usual cop-story fast-beat music we'd usually hear if this were set in Manhattan. That sax and clarinet music had an exceptional feel to it - it was just a little different from an ordinary score. All sex for Tightrope - one of Eastwood's loosest and rowdiest. Niehaus would form a firm working relationship with Eastwood after this film, and they'd work together often. They'd first met serving together in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord during 1952 - 1954.

So, I have a lot of praise for this film - but all in all it still was what it was. Another Eastwood cop movie - a little different from the others, but not exactly La Strada or Citizen Kane. It gets an extra half-point from me because I think if I had to choose, I'd probably choose this one over the others. It was so refreshing to see Eastwood play a guy who has a little too much of a weakness for sex - it's nearly his undoing. I loved the strong female character. The daughters. The procedural aspect - and how damn tough the villain was when cornered. This was Eastwood trying to turn a corner after a half-dozen or so average films from the late 70s to the early 80s - something he'd do with Pale Rider the very next year. This was him starting to make amends after years of being a semi-jerk and misogynist for so long. Tightrope wasn't as great as some of Clint's past classics, but it may have just been his most likeable movie - one that saw him start to age like a fine wine. His best was yet to come.

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Le Cercle Rouge

What a fantastic film!

Right from the start I’m hooked. Two former prisoners meet, by chance it seems. One released recently for good behavior, the other an escapee. Both have a sense of honor and a mutual respect between them. As they set out on a jewelry heist, they also recruit a former police officer who is a crack shot, although a recovering alcoholic. On their trail is a determined detective.

What follows is a cat and mouse game, one that only someone like JPM could pull off so well. The heist scene itself is so riveting, even if it’s done in complete silence.

Great film!

@GulfportDoc, @Holden Pike, @PHOENIX74, @Siddon, @Wyldesyde19 .....and @Thief (yes, I'm tagging even myself here )

We have exactly one week left to watch whatever's left, people. Watch those films, write those reviews, and send those ballots, but most important, comment and discuss about them.

I will try to watch either Body Heat or Sin City tonight. How about you?

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I'll probably review Tightrope (I've seen it) and "Le Cercle", but I doubt that I'll get to La Haine. Actually it sounds like it's more of a social drama than a noir. ICBW.

Yep! Just finished Body Heat, which leaves me with two films to watch within the week. I will catch up with my reviews also.

We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Keep me updated.

Why didn't you ask in the thread for a link then.

I can find one once I'm off work.

as do I it took me five minutes....so yeah I don't get watching the film without subtitles

Agreed, and considering I absolutely think it’s the best film in this HOF, it needs to be watched with subtitles.

On another note, I’ll be finishing Shallow Grave tonight.

I think I'll go with Sin City tonight. Then maybe Le Cercle Rouge tomorrow.

La Haine (1995)

This movie is a mixed bag for me, visually it's a stunning piece of art. Shot in black and white told over the scope of the ghetto the camera feels alive as we go through the story and see this melting pot/powder keg of a story. The story revolves around a trio of friends who each represent a different ethnic set in the urban jungle. Stylistically it's sort of a mix of Do the Right Thing and Rumble Fish.

While the visuals are incredible and story is compelling at times...the script and acting performances are rough. This movie has a lot of yelling and posturing...like way too much of it, it's difficult to connect with any of the characters because so much of the film feels forced. On the other hand I loved how western culture creeps into this french world...it feels very real for the time. Naturally the film builds up to a tragic end we're left guessing just who's going to get it which is smart. But I left the film feeling cold and detacted, this filmmaker ended up being basically a one hit wonder as I don't think he did anything else of note. In the end with Neo-Noir as such a rich genre this felt like a waste of a nomination.

B

@GulfportDoc, for what it's worth, La Haine is streaming free on the Criterion Channel (if you're subscribed). Otherwise, it's for rent on Amazon and AppleTV.

As for Le Cercle Rouge, I'm sure someone here can provide you with a subtitled link, if you're interested.

Tightrope follows police detective Wes Block (Clint Eastwood) as he goes after a serial killer and rapist. However, getting closer to the criminal also uncovers a darker side to him that he'd rather keep buried. Something that Beryl Thibodeaux (Geneviève Bujold), the director of a rape prevention program, calls attention to with the above quote during an awkwardly honest yet effective oyster lunch.

See, it is established early on that Block is a devoted single father of two girls, a workaholic, and a frequent client of New Orleans' prostitutes with a penchant for handcuffs and ties. The fact that the serial killer shares Block's same, uhh, interests serves to lift that front a bit and uncover his own faults, at least within himself and his psyche. It is during this first half that the film is more interesting, as we see Block's reckoning of his own actions against the killer's.

Things get worse when the killer also starts stalking him, his frequent paramours, but also his daughters. Unfortunately, as the film enters its last act and chooses to pull the curtain of what's happening, it becomes less interesting. The revelations and resolutions feel anticlimatic, formulaic, and frankly, make the ending feel more like a whimper than a bang, as it pretty much shies away from the layers that made the first half interesting.

Regardless of my issues with that last act, the film does a lot of things right. Eastwood delivers a rather complex performance, the atmosphere is effective, and the dread build-up is well executed. Even though what's underneath might not be what I would've wanted, Tightrope still puts a solid front above it that mostly works... at least for for the time being.

Grade:

I started Le Cercle Rouge last night, but unfortunately, didn't last 15 minutes. Not the film's fault, but I was tired. I kept rewinding and always ended up dozing off at the same spot. I'll try again tonight.

That's one of the many mantras that Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) repeats to himself and to others perhaps to give meaning to his endeavors. The problem is that in his case, the "why" is perhaps as shady as the "what". That is one of the many themes explored by Dan Gilroy's impressive directorial debut.

Nightcrawler follows Bloom, a sociopath turned freelance journalist in his journey to become relevant. To do this, he pursues shootings, murders, accidents late at night in a very sensationalistic way to then sell the footage to a local news station run by the unethical Nina Romina (Rene Russo).

The pursuit of that kind of shady news by Bloom, the news agency, and the audience is the basis of the film. The way that it explores the ethics of these practices is very thought-provoking, along with the "chicken-or-egg" dilemma of what came first: the media feed of violent events, or the audience's craving for it?

Regardless of the answer, Bloom finds a way to position himself right in the middle of it. It is Gyllenhaal's creepy and unsettling performance what ultimately defines this film. His Bloom is equal parts awkward, pathetic, unethical, savvy, and extremely clever. The way he navigates social circles reciting rehearsed monologues and factoids that he learned from the Internet shows a unique desire for acceptance; something that he gets through this job.

But beyond the excellent performances from Gyllenhaal, Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed, there's a lot more to admire in Gilroy's direction and script. A bleak snapshot of this endless pursuit for sensationalism and sleaze in the news and elsewhere from both the media and the audience; perhaps an invitation to examine our role on this chain, and look within ourselves and ask why do we pursue what we pursue.

Grade:

Hey, @Holden Pike. Are you still in on this? I know you said you had seen all or most of the entries, so I just wanted to check up on you.

I have had both time and computer issues of late, but I can put something together, even if it isn't as detailed as I would normally write.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra