Friday, April 13, 2007
THUGS
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was
This morality play has the advantage of giving us plenty of blood, criminal action, sex, and immorality to wallow in. So we get the point!
It is historic as an early Cagney vehicle; the one where he pushes a grapefruit into a moll's face. He also kills a few criminal vermin and a cop but the grapefruit scene is still the most notorious.
It is the old Hollywood story. You can have it both ways. The evil mixed with the sermon.
It is a pretty good movie, nonetheless. It is hard to watch these old films through the window of their time but I try.
There is some innovative cinematography but I really think that most of it is a silent movie with a sound track. The eyes roll and the bodies posture dramatically.
This has Joan Blondell who I always liked. Also Jean Harlow who is hard to figure. No talent with big hips.
She had something though. I just didn't get it in this iteration.
I am glad that I saw it mostly for historical purposes.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5 though. I don't want them to start putting old gangster films on my recommendations plate. Not that I ever look at them.
Labels: best films
