Review of Hammett (1982) by Caleb M — 09 May 2009

Wim Wenders' Hammett gets pints for it's beautiful and creepy surrealist noir style, but as a whole, the film has elements that keep it from attaining the Chinatown level is strikes for. While the plot gets neatly explained by the end, it does feel a bit convoluted (however, the confusion helps create a bizzare nightmare-dream quality).

Also, Hammett is one of those tricky films that wants you to know how detailed of a film it is; each frame is filled with top-notch set designs, costumes, lighting etc. not to mention a fine score. While all this works fine to create a stunning film to look at, it didn't necessarily help me get involved in the film's plot or characters.

While it's is beautiful to watch and has a captivating dream-like quality, Hammett never really becomes much more than a film for us film buffs to sit back and enjoy.