Review of All Through the Night (2008) by Ilsa L — 14 Nov 2012

All Through the Night might seriously be one of the most suspenseful and thrilling and - at the same time - most amusing and joyful comedy thrillers of the 1940's. It's a star-studded picture, which astounds with a noteworthy, most up-to-date, literate and fast-paced narrative. While the film storyline concerns a rather familiar topic of Nazi saboteurs in America during World War II, it gives an all-new, promising twist to the whole intrigue. All Through the Night makes great use of scrupulously-filmed on-location scenes, giving the audiences many spectacular and rewarding sequences (i.e. speedy car chases on the streets of New York, or Central Park being in the center of a deadly gunfight between Americans and Germans).

A group of laid back Broadway gamblers - lead by the charismatic and always-elegant Humphrey Bogart - stumble onto an intriguing scheme, which starts off when a friendly baker turns up dead in his shop. Every clue brings them closer to danger, as they discover that the whole mystification might be connected to a deadly ring of enemy agents operating in the USA in order to gradually destroy the country right from its heart. Following a few deadly encounters, kidnappings, shoot-outs (and marvelously laughable situations) the boys finally realize what they've gotten themselves into. And in the third act it's Bogey's and William Demarest's (ingeniously called Sunshine) time to shine. Namely, they try to persuade - speaking gibberish for the great amusement of the audiences - a room filled with Nazis that they're actually Germans too.

With clever and and faultless dialogues, adequate comedic interludes, fascinating plot and most-ravishing ending All Through the Night aspires to be a sharp propaganda flick with a truly satisfying patriotic attitude.