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Philip Marlowe has awoken Rip-Van-Winkle style, in 1970's Los Angeles, and is trying to reconcile what he finds there with his 1940's sense of morality. That's the idea, anyway.
What we actually see is a bit of a rube, mumble/bumbling through a PI job and in the end, doing something completely wrong by any morality, including a Hollywood one. It would be called a "crime of passion", only he seems completely blase about it.
Elliot Gould does a fair turn as Philip Marlowe, bringing a freshness to the character that once in awhile is reminiscent of Bogart's famous portrayal, without ever resorting to impersonation. This can't have been an easy task, and for that he deserves kudos.
Also worth watching for in the cast: esteemed California Governor, Arnold Schwartzenegger.. in his underoos. ...huh.
Robert Altman directs this, and I wouldn't call it among his best. If I could time-travel, the one thing I'd want to tell him is this: natural dialogue does not all happen at once unless it's between people who have been married a long, long time. Also: I don't believe even stoned women act as vapid as Marlowe's neighbors. These were not minor details. They should have been, mind you, but they were omnipresent in this film, and mighty annoying.
Of particular note (pun not intended), John William's music is excellent and brilliantly used. The film starts with the theme song, which goes plays throughout many scene changes and is stylistically different in every scene. I loved it. Also worth praise: Sterling Hayden's performance as a drunken, blustery husband of Marlowe's love interest. The man was larger than life.
Overall, I'd recommend this as a conversation piece, but I can't say that it's among my favorites.
Edit to add: Holden has just informed me that this was a satire of the morality of the 70's. I must say... it's a smarter picture if that is the case but they made that pretty subtle. That's the only logical excuse for the ending, however. Dang. I think I missed the boat on this one.
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Elliot Gould does a fair turn as Philip Marlowe, bringing a freshness to the character that once in awhile is reminiscent of Bogart's famous portrayal, without ever resorting to impersonation. This can't have been an easy task, and for that he deserves kudos.
Also worth watching for in the cast: esteemed California Governor, Arnold Schwartzenegger.. in his underoos. ...huh.
Robert Altman directs this, and I wouldn't call it among his best. If I could time-travel, the one thing I'd want to tell him is this: natural dialogue does not all happen at once unless it's between people who have been married a long, long time. Also: I don't believe even stoned women act as vapid as Marlowe's neighbors. These were not minor details. They should have been, mind you, but they were omnipresent in this film, and mighty annoying.
Of particular note (pun not intended), John William's music is excellent and brilliantly used. The film starts with the theme song, which goes plays throughout many scene changes and is stylistically different in every scene. I loved it. Also worth praise: Sterling Hayden's performance as a drunken, blustery husband of Marlowe's love interest. The man was larger than life.
Overall, I'd recommend this as a conversation piece, but I can't say that it's among my favorites.
Edit to add: Holden has just informed me that this was a satire of the morality of the 70's. I must say... it's a smarter picture if that is the case but they made that pretty subtle. That's the only logical excuse for the ending, however. Dang. I think I missed the boat on this one.