The Lineup (1958)

[lester1/2jr]

   

This was a good decade after the noir movement was really in it's heyday but it's still really good.  The main villain guy who is sort of paradoxicly trying to better himself via an older smoother criminal is a great character.  They are trying to run down a shipment of heroin that was supposed to be diverted to the crime syndicate via a cab driver who blows it and crashes the cab.  So it's one of those things where the crooks are chasing the stuff and the cops are chasing the crooks and who will get to the thing first.  San Francisco landmarks are featured prominently.  the later date means they are a little more liberal in showing murders and discussing drugs and so forth.  I didn't listen to much of the commentary that was a writer guy named eddie mueller whose book "dark city" is prtty good and James ellroy the writer.  I'm not big on commentary tracks and neither of them had anything to do with the movie but if the idea of those two guys waxing philosophic and trivial about NOIR appeals to you that is another selling point.  

[The Burgomaster]

This sounds like my kind of movie.  I'm surprised I've never seen it, but it's on my list now!

[lester1/2jr]

It must have just been rereleased. I was a little surprised at the small number of reviews and ratings at netflix. It's a really compelling movie, not just a for completist noir fans thing