Review of Double Indemnity (1973) by Joe L — 05 Jan 2009

Barbara stanwyck is becoming my favorite actress of this period. she excels at characters who so coolly handle anything thrown in their direction - which seems to be a staple of film noir, of which 'double indemnity' might be the blueprint for all copiers.

it's a shame that I had seen 'body heat' without first understanding that it is a carefully crafted homage to this film (and a fantasy on how it might have ended without the hays code). it's similar to 'sunset boulevard' in that it begins with a voiceover confession, and the characters of neff and joe gillis are practically interchangable, but the mechanics of the plot are so compelling that the cast needs to do almost nothing but stand there and 'be cool,' and by doing so, prove their own bravery.