Review of In a Lonely Place (1950) by Richard D — 03 Sep 2018
Bogart stars as an actively failing screenwriter prone to drunkenness and outbursts of angry violence. Faced with having to read a cheap melodrama that he may be hired to adapt, he invites a hatcheck girl who has read the book home to tell him the story.
When she is murdered after leaving his apartment, the police suspect him. Gloria Grahame is an actively failing actress who lives in the same apartment complex. She saw the young woman leave without Bogart, so she provides an alibi for him.
They fall for each other, but his tendency towards violence and her tendency to flee intense emotions drive them apart. This is a refreshingly odd film. The plot centers around a murder that the film really doesn't care about.
We know Bogart is innocent, as does Grahame, so it's really only there to be a constant source of anxiety for Bogart ... mainly since the police won't drop the idea that maybe he did it (even though they have zero evidence).
This is really a melodrama about a man who simply cannot live in the world without hurting people, and it skates a thin line by portraying a really unlikable man that you kind of have to root for while knowing it's fundamentally hopeless.
This review of In a Lonely Place (1950) was written by Richard D on 03 Sep 2018.
In a Lonely Place has generally received very positive reviews.
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