I had mild hopes for this film from the start. Robert Mitchum, a great actor in his day, was a little long in the tooth to be playing the detective. And it was set, oddly, in London and not in LA. Soon into the picture, not only did it barely live up to my low expectations, but it made me groan on several occasions.
The ham-fisted acting, especially on the part of Candy Clark (was she directed to act that retarded or was it her idea?) and sterile scenery were especially hard to take. Some of the actors seemed like set dressings rather than characters. Richard Boone, looking as drunk as ever, plods through this movie for no apparent reason. The only thing memorable about Sarah Miles was her enormous triangle-cut hair, which did nothing more than annoy me.
And what was Marlowe doing in expensive clothes and wearing a Rolex watch? Apparently being honest pays far more than he lets on.
There are so many better Marlowes out there, so unless you're a real Chandler fan, avoid this one (same goes for Altman's The Long Goodbye and Robert Montgomery's Lady in the Lake).
The ham-fisted acting, especially on the part of Candy Clark (was she directed to act that retarded or was it her idea?) and sterile scenery were especially hard to take. Some of the actors seemed like set dressings rather than characters. Richard Boone, looking as drunk as ever, plods through this movie for no apparent reason. The only thing memorable about Sarah Miles was her enormous triangle-cut hair, which did nothing more than annoy me.
And what was Marlowe doing in expensive clothes and wearing a Rolex watch? Apparently being honest pays far more than he lets on.
There are so many better Marlowes out there, so unless you're a real Chandler fan, avoid this one (same goes for Altman's The Long Goodbye and Robert Montgomery's Lady in the Lake).