Review of The Long Goodbye (1973) by Ola G — 30 Dec 2011

The Chain-smoking, wisecracking private eye Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould) helps his friend Terry Lennox to cross the border to Tijuana and returns home to an apartment full of cops who question him about the murder of Lennox wife. After Marlowe's release, following the reported suicide of Terry, the mysterious blonde Eileen Wade (Nina Van Pallandt) hires him to locate her alcoholic and abusive husband Roger Wade (Sterling Hayden). Then Marlowe gets a visit from the hoodlum Marty Augustine who wants his $350,000 Terry apparently stole from him. Marlowe tails the hood, who goes to Rogers Wade´s house and talks to Eileen. As Marlowe pulls the threads together, he needs to figure out the truth about Terry once and for all...

Robert Altman was a director with a mixed bag of creative outcomes. Some really good ones, some less good ones. "The Long Goodbye" is something in between. A private eye stuck in the mindset of the 50s but living in the 70s trying to figure out what happend to his friend. The plot is not that strong and as in many other Altman movies, we get rich dialogue with less dynamics. At times the plot drags on and keeps floating around with sideplots creating a slight feeling of "get on with it". I like Elliot Gould and he does a solid portrait of Marlowe. I like the stunning dane Nina Van Pallandt. I did as well like the quite abrupt ending. However, this is hardly amongst Altmans best ones in my opinion. Ok, but no more and not a must see.