Grade: C+
Synopsis: Los Angeles private detective Philip Marlowe (James Garner) investigates the disappearance of a young girl’s brother and an attempt to blackmail a television star.
Marlowe works in spite of itself. You’d think transplanting Raymond Chandler’s iconic detective out of 1940’s Los Angeles would be a fatal mistake, given how Chandler intertwined his protagonist with his environment, yet James Garner’s interpretation of the character ranks as one of the best.
Granted, Garner may not be cynical enough, but the physical presence he brings to the role, combined with his tough but easygoing demeanor, compensate. Indeed, if Stirling Silliphant’s script only gave him a bit more edge, he’d be perfect.
That said, the film feels a bit unwieldy at times. There’s a lot of plot here and quite a bit goes unexplained, so much so that ending feels like something of a cop-out, but not so much that it leaves you feeling burned.
There’s also a great supporting cast, including Bruce Lee’s Hollywood film debut, and if the studio executive played by William Daniels seems familiar but you can’t place where, it’s because he was the voice of K.I.T.T. in the original Knight Rider television series.
In the end, Marlowe works best if you’ve already read the story it’s based on, Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister. Those that haven’t may find the plot holes a bit too distracting, but for fans of Chandler, or James Garner, Marlowe is definitely worth a look.
