donderdag 5 januari 2017

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 2: Double Indemnity

Director: Billy Wilder
Genre: Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 1944
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Byran barr, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanova, John Philiber

Description: An insurance representative (Fred MacMurray) lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions (Edward G. Robinson).

Review: Insurance agent Walter Neff is being confronted by an inrresistable woman, while doing a routine job for the woman’s husband. The woman, Phyllis Dietrichson, manages to win him over immediately. She asks Walter is he also sells life insurance and we know we’re dealing with a femme fatale. Walter is impressed by Phyllis and lets her comepletely take a hold of him, before he finds out what’s really going on. They fall in love in plan to kill Phyllis’ husband, but and old co-worker of Walter doesn’t trust the situation.
The film is based on the book “Three of a Kind”, by author James M. Cain. The film has sharp and cynical dialogues. And the way the story is told works great. The film starts at the end, where Walter is using a dictaphone to tell his story. Through the voice-over we see everything and this works well. It’s the ultimate film-noir. The story is good and you can really feel the atmosphere. How they play with darkness and light, the shadows, smoke rooms, it looks unique.
The acting is strong. Both Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck are very solid in their performances.
“Double Indemnity” is a must-see for every film lover.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

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