Review of Hammett (1982) by Stephen E — 21 Nov 2011
Wim Wenders first full US feature had a bit of a troubled birth to say the least,its widely believed Francis Coppola redirected a load of the film and the story does wander about in some areas.
But what emerges does have some fine moments from its cast and a very good John Barry score.
Fredric Forrest plays Dashinell Hammet a hard drinking pulp writer who becomes embroiled in a missing persons case.
What follows is good fun as Hammett cuts his way through the seedy San Fransisco underworld where cross and double cross are around every corner.
Wenders packs his film with great supporting actors from a suitably nasty Roy Kinnear as English Eddie Hagedon ,to Elisha Cook Jnr as a heavily armed taxi driver.
The films does sag in places and one wonders what Wenders original version would have been like ,but all in all this is a solid film with plenty going for it .
This review of Hammett (1982) was written by Stephen E on 21 Nov 2011.
Hammett has generally received positive reviews.
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