cricketbat Double Indemnity is a prime example of classic film noir. Plus, for those of us raised on live-action Disney movies, it's fun to see Fred MacMurray play a role so dramatically different from what we're used to. I love the quick and stylized dialogue. Who knew that a story about an insurance salesman could be so dark and gritty?

John Brooks Billy Wilder rhymes with quality film-noir by reputation. Snappy quick-witted dialog, a tumultuous introduction that forces the viewer right into the thick of the plot and action that often starts at the very end before recounting the story (as here), a femme fatale lead character along with a cynical blasé male lead who often switches between effective line delivery and narration in the background (as here), and a plot that is complex involving different parties that appreciates a psychological intrigue and insight into the protagonists' minds and motivations, the actors always top drawer with their individual performance and presence onscreen offering strong guarantee for the whole ride.The thing about this one is as often the dialog is too dense and too prolific imposing a solicitation of utter focus and attention from the viewer for the entire show and where it's interesting and effective in many parts, it's just too much effort for little reward: the actors just spew out a ton of lines with incredible cadence and this contributes to a feeling of prolonged length. Also strongly adding to the effect of distorted time, like the film is too long for its own good is how it runs out of puff at just about 30 minutes before the end. All of the wit and plot strong points and crux of the film are dispensed through the first hour plus, and just when the momentum appears to be at a peak the film aggressively maintains a suspended effort of keeping that high note going on, and on, where it feels artificially kept alive and can't seem to make itself as interesting as the first two thirds. There's a natural rhythm and momentum for any film but these crime film-noirs especially and the intrigue needs to be carefully conducted and evenly spread over whichever period of time. It just feels dead and drags on at the end here, the last half hour rather painful and with little reward as there's a strong feeling of inevitability that something fairly predictable and just about how we'd imagine it is about to happen, the film strips its own self of any element of surprise and spontaneity and denies its viewer a punchy ending which is disappointing after demanding such focus from the audience. Finally, there's also the fact this sort of film relies on details fulfilling the requirements of the plot and there's a dominant feeling of predictability and convenience to key characters with their resolving of the plot. This remains a top film-noir for what it is and lots of good work was also put into it, however there's no excuse for throwing off the pace and having a film end on a lackluster note, if you're the film-maker it's your number one duty.6.5/10.

utgard14 Film noir classic, directed by Billy Wilder, about an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) who falls for a married woman (Barbara Stanwyck). She uses him to help her get rid of her husband problem. It's a firecracker of a film that moves quickly, with hard-bitten characters and snappy dialogue brought to life by a great cast and a legendary director. Easily MacMurray's best role on the big screen. Wonderful supporting work from Edward G. Robinson. Stanwyck is terrific, as well, although selling her as the kind of woman a man could fall in lust with at first sight is one of the film's only flaws. Beautifully shot by John Seitz. The incredible score is courtesy of Miklós Rózsa. A lot of top talent worked on this. Nominated for seven Oscars, it took home zero. Which is a crying shame, especially with regard to the screenplay written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, adapted from a novel by James M. Cain. I like Going My Way as much as the next person but, come on now, this script has quite possibly the best dialogue in movie history. It's on my list of top ten favorite movies of all time so obviously I recommend it.

frankwiener There have been so many user reviews of this classic and much imitated "film noir" creation, I am tempted to review at least some of the reviews rather than the film, but I won't.If the script is "silly and laughable", as one recent reviewer seriously contends, then the laugh is on the reviewer because some of the dialogue was written deliberately to be comical in places, especially if lines repeatedly begin with the word "suppose". To the contrary, I found the script, written by the director himself and Raymond Chandler, to be very snappy, especially as it was so adeptly brought to life by three of the best in the business, Stanwyck, Robinson, and MacMurray, in no special order. I especially enjoyed Mr. Robinson's bursting soliloquies that underlined his character's extensive knowledge of the risks of the insurance business. Who else but EGR could have succeeded in this amusing exercise so well?As much as I enjoyed the three wonderful lead actors, I also appreciated all of the meticulous details of the director, Billy Wilder, including minor but memorable characters such as the elevator man ("They wouldn't sell me a policy..."), Netty, the Dietrickson's disheveled maid ("They keep the liquor closet locked up." If I were in the employ of this miserable and unlikable couple, I would need an occasional nip myself.), Mr. Jackson, the witness ("I'm a Medford Man--Medford, Oregon."), and Nino Zachetti, the angry young man who bitterly resents how he has been cheated by society but walks away without appreciating just how truly lucky he is. Even the scenes in the food market allowed us an authentic glimpse of everyday life in wartime 1944 Los Angeles, revealing, among other tidbits, that farina packages haven't changed very much in 72 years.The film unfolds as a series of flashbacks with periodic breaks in "present time", including the beginning and the end. As Barton Keyes suggests at one point, the film itself is very neatly "wrapped up in tissue paper...pink ribbons on it." Unlike many other movies of its "noir" genre, it is relatively easy to follow without distracting us with unnecessarily convoluted plots that we didn't have to struggle to understand in the first place.Neff's questionable character is revealed from the start as he has no qualms about destroying a marriage and a family until the presence of Lola, Dietrichson's daughter, challenges his conscience. His fatherly relationship with Lola and then his compassionate assistance to Zachetti, her boyfriend, demonstrates that Neff isn't completely morally depraved as much as he is weak in the face of temptation. Regardless of how disagreeable Dietricksen, his victim, is, Neff can't redeem himself from his crime by being nice to Lola and Zachetti. It is not an even exchange. This exercise in portraying a repentant, moral weakling is refined by the actor a decade later in MacMurray's role of Lt. Tom Keefer in "The Caine Mutiny". Then, MacMurray takes immorality to a new level six years after that in "The Apartment"' as the shamelessly dishonest Jeff Sheldrake, who is totally void of introspection. For those who only know MacMurray as the father in the television series "My Three Sons", you ain't seen nuthin' yet!Although I was fully absorbed in the action, Neff's ability under extraordinary pressure to get Jackson out of the observation car just in the nick of time seemed improbable to me. Didn't he and Phyllis consider the possibility that someone would be out there who was unwilling or even incapable of leaving on time? And wouldn't the coroner have established early that Dietricksen was the victim of strangulation rather than accidental death? I'll leave it to you to decide. And did Phyllis actually undergo a "change of heart" just before she was able to fire a second shot? Should it make a difference to us by then? I think not. Nothing could ever redeem this despicable woman--or that wig.