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Far too often, car chase films made in San Francisco are laughable because the locations don't match up with reality--the magic of this film is its logic and locale accuracy; not only is this a stunning film noir that often takes place in broad daylight (without the usual attendant shadows and smoke), it is also a tour of so many legendary places that no longer exist, most notably a lengthy sequence shot at Sutro Baths, the magical Victorian amusement center that had a last gasp during the period this film was made--you can also see the dank interior of the pre-remodeled Steinhart Aquarium (also featured in Welles' Lady From Shanghai), and experience a steep drive up California Street, spotting an actual theatre marquee at the Fairmont Hotel--the Nob Hill cinema was still there instead of on Bush Street--and it's featuring An Affair To Remember! OK--Im a sucker for specific detailed shots of The City by The Bay--but when mixed with this strange tale of a jumpy psychopath, perfectly tuned by cold-blooded Eli Wallach in conjunction with his teacher, twitchy Robert Keith, as the frightening pair track down some smuggled heroin, the story tossing in in a vivid police procedural cogently assembled by Don Siegel, and ending on one of San Francisco's legendary freeways to nowhere--well, its a total winner! The downside, strictly optional, is the disc commentary--not because of affable, informative Eddie Muller, but because the jokey, better-than-thou author Elroy poses as Bad Boy Commentator rather than contribute meaningful dialogue; some may find him amusing, and like a kid who says nasty words to shock the girls, he might be; I just found him snarky and uninformative. I say watch the film, skip the commentary--The Lineup is an underrated classic noir of quality.
score 9/10
museumofdave 26 February 2013
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2759785/ |
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24-2-2021 18:06:20