Review of In a Lonely Place (1950) by Serena B — 07 Jan 2008
Rounding out a great year for divas and a terrible year for Hollywood was this (at the time) little-seen masterpiece. Director Nicholas Ray took away Bogart's gun and proved just how scary he could be; Dix is a complex blend of Sam Spade's self-loathing, Rick's bruised romantic and Dobb's paranoia, and Bogart walks away with the best performance of his career, allowing himself to be seen in a bad light both physically and emotionally.
Gloria Grahame is perfect as the would-be starlet who falls for Dix and provides a brief period of inner peace for the troubled screenwriter. This is a movie that was at least 20 years ahead of its time (one can clearly see the influence on Scorsese and Taxi Driver) and as long as there are troubled loners, misfits and rebels without causes, this film will never age.
The ending will blind you with its pessimism. A masterpiece.
This review of In a Lonely Place (1950) was written by Serena B on 07 Jan 2008.
In a Lonely Place has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
