Saturday, November 10, 2007
REEL TIME
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was Robert Wise'
This boxing noir film with Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter takes 72 minutes to show one hour in the life of a down and out, small town boxer. Every minute is packed with visual interest and action. Great sets. Wonderful character actors. Beautiful cinematography.
The plot unwinds like a clockwork.
The whole thing is a cliché but so well done that you do not get that is so.
Or perhaps so many other films have emulated this one that it has become a template.
This is the same Robert Wise who did Sound of Music and a lot of other weepers and fluffouts. Even more interesting that he would have done this tightly wound nail biter.
It gets a very high rating on the IMDb—an 8.
I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.
Labels: best films
