The Big Sleep (NR) *** Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall Directed by Howard Hawks A Review by Frankie Paiva
Sometimes, when I'm really bored and I don't know of anything else that I want to see, I'll just choose a movie that I've never heard of (except if it's like Minors & Whips or Barely Legal IIV) and rent it just for the heck of it. Now this method may not seem the best to you, the review reader, but I find it as an easy way to select movies. That's how I came across The Big Sleep, I did not learn until after viewing the film that is an everlasting legend.
Philip Marlowe (do I really need to tell you who plays him?) is assigned to cover up some family business, old man Sternwood is being blackmailed and wants to know who's blackmailing him (or something like that, I'd have to see the film again to be sure.) One of his lovely daughters, Carmen (Martha Vickers) is high on something while a man is murdered. He must protect the drug addict while dealing with her sister Vivian (Bacall) who is somehow connected. In the meantime, other people get murdered, and he begins to fall in love with Vivian. Marlowe's investigations eventually bring him to the casino of Eddie Mars (John Ridgely) who becomes one of his prime suspects in the case.
A groundbreaking film in the amount of violence that is used and the way the film is shot. Now I'm no expert in classic film, but to me, it contains a lot more violence than any film I've seen made in or before 1946. Scenes between Bogart and Bacall are exciting and fun to watch. The case is also interesting and entertains while it unfolds. Classic cinema that should be getting more rents at the video store. In my opinion the film though, (or course it's my opinion, this is my review!) it's still not as good as The Maltese Falcon, but I still give it *** stars.
The Young-Uns: The film contains several people being shot, kicked, punched, etc. The film also contains drug use and quite a bit of alcohol. Good Age: 9 & Up
A Review by Frankie Paiva The 12 Year-Old Movie Reviewer E-Mail me at SwpStke@aol.com Visit my website at: http://expage.com/page/teenagemoviecritic
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