Review of Sweet Smell of Success (1957) by Danny R — 04 Dec 2011
An engrossing classic American noir that concerns a ruthless, sadistic, all-powerful gossip columnist named J.J. Hunsecker, brilliantly played by Burt Lancaster in one of his finest performances and his unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco, masterfully played by Tony Curtis in a performance that showed him to be a first-rate actor and just not another handsome Hollywood face, his slick, opportunistic Sidney Falco who would do anything to curry favor with Hunsecker, it is a memorable characterization by Curtis that is the backbone of this gripping drama of big-city corruption.
Another standout performance is by Susan Harrison who superbly plays Hunsecker's tormented teenaged sister Susan, whom he harbors incestuous feelings for, a bristling and compelling screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman from the novelette by Ernest Lehman that has vivid and hard-boiled dialogue with lines like, "i'd hate to take a bite out of you," Hunsecker tells Tony Curtis's poisonous press agent Sidney Falco, "you're a cookie filled with arsenic.
Soulful supporting performances by Martin Milner, Sam Levene, Barbara Nichols, Jeff Donnell, Joseph Leon and Edith Atwaier, taut direction by Alexander Mackendrick and a superb jazz score by Elmer Bernstein, exquisite black & white cinematography by James Wong Howe that perfectly captures the New York City nightlife of the late 1950s.
This film has been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry and the American Film Institute has selected Burt Lancaster's character J.J. Hunsecker as No.35, on its list of the top 50 villains in cinematic history.
Highly Recommended.
This review of Sweet Smell of Success (1957) was written by Danny R on 04 Dec 2011.
Sweet Smell of Success has generally received very positive reviews.
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