Review of Detour (1992) by Tristan P — 31 Jul 2008
Generally speaking, whenever I watch a "classic" film noir, I'm deeply disappointed (as was the case with LAURA and GILDA, just to name two), but I found Edgar G. Ulmer's DETOUR to actually live up to the ballyhoo. DETOUR is, in fact, one of the very few noirs I've seen that actually has the "haunting" feel often attributed to the genre. Tom Neal (an effective thug in the Lugosi chiller BOWERY AT MIDNIGHT) is a fine anti-hero; whether he's an innocent victim of circumstances or a lying multiple murderer really doesn't matter. And Ann Savage may be the most vitriolic femme fatale I've ever come across; she's quite beautiful but her character is so damn EVIL it's tough to not be repulsed by her.
A triumph for the brilliant Edgar G. Ulmer!
This review of Detour (1992) was written by Tristan P on 31 Jul 2008.
Detour has generally received positive reviews.
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