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Just recently I came across the late author James Hadley Chase. I was surprised at the huge number of novels he had written over the 50s and 60s. A movie I had also watched a movie earlier which was giving reference to behind the inspiration used. I decided to dwell in to the writers works and discover what made him so popular. After reading one I could not give up. I was surprised by the themes and characters that were involved in the novels. Many times it felt like I was not reading a book, but watching a movie. Given the fact that his books were not long made it more easier to complete them. Many of Chase's novels have been adapted in to movies. The trend of Chase adaptations became a cult trend for french and Italian cinema. However here in the west it never took off. Novels like 'Miss Shunaway waves a wand', 'The set up' and 'Hit and run' were adapted for the big screen. Unfortunately they did not make bells ring at the box office. The novel 'Just another sucker' is made in to a movie and The theme became instantly familiar to me as the first few minutes begin to roll. The name of the novel has been changed to 'Palmetto' for the movie. As one watches on you realise the noir atmosphere is prevalent in almost every scene. An old novel's transition to modern day cinema makes an impressive outcome. Both Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Shue were perfect choices for the casting. Their performances really make the movie for what it is.
Volker Schlondorff makes a sincere attempt at presenting his perception of the novel. He has incorporated all his basic understanding of the theme and there is never a feeling that a foreign director made the movie. He has made many dull moments enhanced by capturing the character's expressions. There are a few scenes and moments that make the movie longer in duration but this does not put the viewer off. It was disappointing that the movie did not have huge box office status when it released. Since the theme of kidnapping was used, and one has to contend with releases like 'fargo' and 'The big lebowski', I would assume that this movie went unnoticed. I think that the reason behind its failure was directly due to the incorrect release date. Maybe a year early or late would have had some positive impact on the movie's success ratio.
*********************SPOILERS AHEAD********************* Woody Harrelson plays Harry Barber who is released from prison after spending two years there for no reason. He considers going to Miami but his girlfriend (Gina Gershon) persuades him to not leave. At a bar he encounters a woman who who is the wife of a rich man by the name or Mr Malroux. She tempts him in to a fake kidnapping scheme where her step daughter (Chloe Sevigny) will be involved in. The ranson will be 500,000 dollars. All that Harry has to do is make a phone call and send the threatening letter demanding the ransom. Initially Harry does not approve but later he convinces himself. After meeting the step daughter the plan is put ahead. The girl stays away from home for a short time and her father delivers the money in a suitcase to the location mentioned. He is later shocked to discover that the girl has been killed and he has a body to dispose of that is not easy to do. The local authorities are on the case and 1 plus 1 does not seem to be adding to two for Harry. Plus what he received was not cash at all. The situation becomes more and more sinister and paranoia begins to take over him. To his surprise he later discovers that at every step of the way more and more clues will point towards him as the culprit behind Mr Malroux's daughters disappearance. He realises eventually that he was just used for the whole plan. Eventually he has to prove his innocence to the authorities. ************************END OF SPOILERS**********************
I could not help getting a dejavu of 'Body Heat' while watching this movie. Many situations were reminiscent of the classic. The setting of Florida too was an indicator of this. The constant sweating faces and sexual intimidating scenes also were a giveaway. But the similarities end there. Movies like 'Derailed and 'Out of time' too had a similar concept. The director has incorporated many slow moving frames which highlight plot twists and key moments which are crucial. These are a highlight and really create the right tone at certain intervals. With a running time of 1 hour and 53 minutes the movie does tend to take long to get the plot to progress. Much of the first hour is spent behind planning the kidnapping. However the second hour's pace builds up. Much of that specific portion of the movie delivers plot twists after plot twists. These makes for a very intriguing experiences as the movie progresses. The usage of a background score is very minimum. But the sleazy sounds do appear regularly at important moments because you can't have a noir movie without them. This is one of Woody Harrelson's best performances. He has managed to blend many moods and shades in to one role. We can feel sympathy for his character as well as hating him. We can sense his paranoia and unsettling feeling while just watching him. There are certain moments where one would also laugh at him. He truly did play the man in despair from the heart. Elizabeth Shue would have given any actress from the 40s and 50s a run for their money as she played a femme fatale brilliantly. Her body language and acting were just on the mark.
Overall this is the perfect treat for fans of noir. I would also recommend watching it with others.
score 8/10
moviestar26 22 April 2010
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2239430/ |
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16-4-2021 01:12:07