Review of Murder, My Sweet (1944) by Chris M — 01 Dec 2007
"Murder, My Sweet" is based on the novel "Farewell, My Lovely" by Raymond Chandler. It follows hardboiled detective Philip Marlowe as he becomes embroiled in a tangled plot involving a missing girlfriend, a stolen jade necklace and more than enough shifty characters.
Dick Powell is excellent as Marlowe and lends the character an appropriate toughness balanced with cynicism and sardonic remarks. The rest of the enigmatic cast was excellent as well, especially Anne Shirley, Claire Trevor and Mike Mazurki.
The story generally closely follows that of "Farewell, My Lovely". Some elements of the story were considered controversial when the film was made and were left out, but the essential Chandler mystery is there. That means we get a nicely convoluted plot with intrigue and twists. Notably also the film retains some of Chandler's clever first-person commentary and features some commendable effects to illustrate some of the sequences from the story. "Murder, My Sweet" is a must-see for Chandler readers and those that enjoy detective stories.
This review of Murder, My Sweet (1944) was written by Chris M on 01 Dec 2007.
Murder, My Sweet has generally received very positive reviews.
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