Sunday, April 1, 2012

144. The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon
1941
Directed by John Huston

So...exhausted writing posts...no one reads...so tired...can't go on...

I watched this movie and read the book so I am kind of a fan of the whole plot (complicated as it is).  Maybe I am a bit biased.  I am told girls really don't like this movie.  I guess I am more of an exception then, not the rule.  Still, everyone likes to watch Humphrey Bogart right?

Film noir is what most people think of whenever they think of 40s movies and this is pretty much the intro to that.  Watch and enjoy I guess; I have been doing this for about two hours.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

UGH!! Do it yourself: here

24 comments:

  1. Hello

    I watched The Maltese Falcon,too.I was engaged in this one. and, recently I had a chance to see his starring 「To have and have not」.He married to Lauren Bacall who was costarring there.That shows Humphrey Bogart is so attractive person.

    I have been enjoying reading your blog.Please continue posting your reviews.

    I also post my blog on movies.Please drop in if you have time.


    kpb81

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  2. I would love to; what is the url?

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    1. Dear amanda

      Thank you so much for your comment.
      the below is my url.

      http://entertainment-kpb81.blogspot.jp/

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  3. Maybe stop writing when you get too tired... I like the longer posts and I'd rather wait longer for them! :-/

    I did enjoy this film; it's such classic noir. I didn't love Mary Astor as the femme fatale, but overall I thought it was very interesting. I read the book too and was not disappointed!

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    1. Haha I have been shamed. I will try not to write when I am tired but sometimes I just want to be caught up at the end of the day.

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  4. This is one of my favorites of the forties and I believe universally loved. Yeah, who does not like watching Bogie, but there is a lot more to it than just him.
    I have read some of my own writing from when I was tired or upset and that I'd really below standard. Not good.

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  5. I'm surprised I've not stuck my two penneth in for this, one of my alltime favourite films.
    Yes, sorry, I will join Rachel in expressing a bit of disappointment it got such a short review ..
    It just so happens that two days ago I came across a dramatically younger Mary Astor in 'Born to be Bad', a 1931/2? pre-code with Jean Harlow (the born to be bad one) and Clark Gable being quite reasonable, and decidedly not all that oily.

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  6. I watched this for the first time the other day...I was pretty excited to watch it as I love Humph, it's a total classic and everyone loves it. And I just didn't get the appeal! I really hated the story...I feel like I just totally missed it with this one. I thought the performances were good but the story I just couldn't have been less interested in :(

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    1. Yeah stories in film noirs like this are always unnecessarily confusing. But the other components make it fun enough to be worth watching, I think.

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  7. Hi Ashley, Glad to see you love Humph, so somewhat surprised to see that, sadly, this one just didn't do it for you .. but I think you feel disappointed yourself .. So you undoubtedly approached it with a positive attitude .. I wonder what went wrong for you? How are you with other Noirs, as the story is pretty standard (and a lot less complicated than some)

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    1. Hi Ray, I really haven't seen many to be honest so I wouldn't want to speak too soon. I did have a suspicion maybe it could be the genre is not for me although I like the idea of it. I wasn't very fussed about Double Indemnity and that's like the thing I think most about if I think Noir. But then again maybe I just haven't seen the one that does it for me yet! I should not write an entire genre off just because I didn't care for the handful I've seen.

      Haha you are so right I was disappointed- I was thinking it was going to be a new favourite. Of course the flipside to that is when you watch something and think it's going to be rubbish and it turns out to be amazing so it all evens out in the end :D

      Yeah it wasn't that the story was complicated it was just that I really didn't care what happened (which is just the worst I know). And then once you don't care you lose interest and before you know it you're willing it to end!

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  8. So a 'No' to 'Double Indemnity' as well? Oh dear .. I'm afraid this is rather saying you are not a noir person .. You have tried a few, and, - in my opinion- a couple of the best and most representative, and, well, if it just didn't do it for you ...
    (Quite why I'm saying 'Oh dear', I'm not sure .. just because it happens to be probably my prefered movement, is no reason to think anyone else will or should)
    Never mind, Amanda will be well chuffed to be getting such enthusiastic support for musicals from you!

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  9. It is definitely an oh dear situation! Noir seems right up my street but my brain has other ideas. I did enjoy Double Indemnity more than Maltese though- I could appreciate how good it was even if I didn't like it if you know what I mean.

    Haha yes- can't beat a bit of bursting into song :D

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  10. Well, you like what you like .. somethings click, somethings don't. If you keep reading, you will find I really (REALLY!) don't like musicals, (don't get me started on 'Sound of Mouse sick', '7 house elves for 7 misogynists', or 'Isn't under age grooming for prostitution FUN!') and you will find some very good natured exchanges between Amanda and myself on here . Some, I hope you will find amusing. What is odd, is that the very few musicals I have liked, are always ones Amanda hates .. So here's to future good natured disagreements to come ...

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  11. Haha, absolutely! I think so many people don't like musicals...they seem rather like a marmite thing. The Sound of Music was the first film I ever truly loved though. I think I was about 7 and I was ill with some bug. I lay on the settee watching her appearing on the hill singing and thought well this is bloody good! Haha! Ever since then, me and musicals have been the best of friends! Although I have to agree with you on 7 Brides. Creepy creepy creepy. I've never actually seen Gigi...I never fancied it...so I guess I have that to look forward to!!

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  12. ... ". I've never actually seen Gigi...I never fancied it.." .. But, wow, I'm impressed, you recognised the description. and "Creepy creepy" for brides is well summarized.
    So on to the positive .. The ones I like .. 'Cabaret', Which I always claim isn't a musical .. it's a film with lot's of songs in it. I mean, it's set in a nightclub .. so people sing as a normal procedure, that.s what they are there to do. And then 'Rocky Horror', which I adore .. Both of these Amanda dislikes. (AMANDA.. there are a couple of others on those lines .. can you remember which?)

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    1. Haha well I guess there's not that many musicals that could have fit your description of Gigi :D

      I have to watch it as it won the bloody Best Picture and I'm trying to watch them all...but I'm putting it off for now!

      I am definitely a big Cabaret fan...I love everything Fosse did. I also love Rocky Horror. To be honest there isn't many I haven't enjoyed. I love everything, Fred and Ginger, Gene, Judy (barring Wizard of Oz as it gave me nightmares as a child I was terrified and I've never watched it since haha), Rodgers and Hammerstein...then most things since then right up to the new ones like Les Mis.

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    2. Ah! Did you see that Amanda ? .. someone else likes Cabaret ... (Ashley .. I think you may find a conversation between Amanda and I on the Cabaret page)

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    3. Ugh. Still one of my least favorite movies.

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  13. One of the problems with musicals is that you're watching a scene with characters and something happening and then suddenly . . . WHAT THE HELL? THEY'RE ALL SINGING! PEOPLE DON'T JUST DROP EVERYTHING AND SING LIKE THAT! THESE PEOPLE ARE FREAKS!

    But how about musicals that make little or no pretence at drama, much less realism. Something like Fred Astaire or Busby Berkeley where the dialogue and the plot are extensions to the mood of the song & dance routines rather than an attempt at the other way around? Or Singing in the Rain which, like Cabaret, largely gets around the problem by setting the film in a place (a musical film set or a nightclub respectively) where the routines happen for their own reasons?

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    1. Haha. I love it when they burst into song or a tap number or something. Maybe a part of it is how much you like the music as well. To be honest I am a sucker for these kind of show tunes and obviously the music is the main attraction a lot of the time...if you don't actually love the songs then there wouldn't be anything much going for some musicals. E.g. I wouldn't fancy sitting through Les Mis if I didn't like the songs as I wouldn't be able to get into it.

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    2. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but I understand why some people do. A bit like people who can't read or watch fiction because they can't stop thinking "But, this is all made up!"

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    3. I don't fully understand that argument about musicals. I mean, movies aren't always plausible. Can those same people not watch fantasy films or sci fi because it's not real? That sounds like a fairly miserable way to go through life. I think of musicals as a kind of sci fi. All the characters live in an alternate universe where they can express their feelings in song. Buffy did it best.

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  14. OK, OK, I'm being got at here!
    Good arguments there folks, and I see your point .. but I will continue to cringe as people burst into song because they are having breakfast or whatever. (And admit it Amanda, you did laugh at a little skit I did about this a bit ago on a post, but which one I don't remember. )

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