Reviews of movies with Robert Mitchum.
Friday, May 9th 2008
Grade: C-
Synopsis: An aging hood (Robert Mitchum) facing jail time contemplates turning police informant.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a gritty crime drama that could have, and probably should have, been better.
The problem is the length. While so many movies are overlong, this one’s actually far too short. Though Robert Mitchum has top billing, it’s essentially an ensemble film, but with only a 102-minute running time, we never really get to know any of the characters outside of Mitchum’s. Further, Mitchum seems out of place in the film, an old man amongst kids. His character makes mention of his contemporaries having long ago retired to Florida, but a longer running time would have allowed more interactions with more characters his age, such as his wife, or other locals, perhaps illustrating just how much has come and gone during Mitchum’s character’s lifetime. MORE »
Posted at 11:39 AM in Movie Reviews and Robert Mitchum.
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Tuesday, April 22nd 2008
Grade: B
Synopsis: During World War II, the captain (Robert Mitchum) of an American destroyer matches wits with the captain (Curd Jürgens) of a German U-Boat in the south Atlantic.
The Enemy Below is a taunt thriller with top-notch performances and great atmosphere.
Robert Mitchum and Curd Jürgens are excellent as a pair of equally matched captains. Their characters are mirror images of each other, each dedicated and proficient in his job. Indeed, it’s especially refreshing that Jürgens’ character isn’t painted as a one-dimensional villain, and that this is a cat and mouse story that makes few moral judgments about who is the cat and who is the mouse. MORE »
Posted at 4:04 PM in Movie Reviews and Robert Mitchum.
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Wednesday, April 16th 2008
Grade: C-
Synopsis: A sociopath preacher (Robert Mitchum) seeks ten thousand dollars hidden by his former prison cellmate.
A critical and commercial flop upon its release in 1955, Night of the Hunter has since gone on to garner much critical and commercial acclaim. Perhaps a bit too much.
There’s no doubt that the film is full of striking images. From the evocative use of shadows, to the haunting image of the car at the bottom of the lake, Night of the Hunter is an exceptionally well photographed, borderline surreal, nightmare.
Also, there’s Robert Mitchum’s now classic performance as an insidious boogeyman forever stalking his prey, though he would truly master the role seven years later in Cape Fear (1962). MORE »
Posted at 1:52 PM in Movie Reviews and Robert Mitchum.
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Thursday, April 10th 2008
Grade: C-
Synopsis: During the Christmas season, a widow with a son delays a lawyer’s offer of marriage while finding herself drawn to an unemployed man (Robert Mitchum).
Holiday Affair didn’t go over well upon its initial release in 1949 and, as a result, Robert Mitchum found himself regulated to noir-ish melodramas for the next several years. It’s a real shame since Mitchum is pretty damn good as a romantic lead.
Mitchum aside, the film isn’t half-bad either. Janet Leigh is suitably mousey as a widow unable to let go of the past, though perhaps not exactly alluring enough to convince the audience of exactly what Mitchum’s character sees in her. Come to think of it, the movie does send a pretty strange message, namely: when you’ve got a kid to support and you’re barely making ends meet as comparison shopper, ditch your warm, caring, patient lawyer boyfriend for the unemployed vagabond you just met –provided he’s more handsome. MORE »
Posted at 3:47 PM in Movie Reviews and Robert Mitchum.
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Tuesday, April 8th 2008
Grade: B+
Synopsis: In 1920’s Australia, the head (Robert Mitchum) of a family of sheep drovers finds his future uncertain when his wife (Deborah Kerr) announces her desire to abandon their roaming lifestyle.
The Sundowners is a surprisingly good look into a lifestyle and culture that’s long gone.
At its heart, the story is about the end of an era. Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr play a married couple of nomads, who, along with their son played quite well by Michael Anderson Jr., wander from town to town, herding sheep for money. Mitchum’s character is content with this life, proud of having nothing to tie him down, and no long-term worries. Along the way, they meet another vagabond, played by the immensely charming Peter Ustinov, who sees a kindred soul in Mitchum’s character. The conflict comes when Kerr and Anderson Jr.’s characters want to settle down and buy a farm, but this is just a metaphor for the inevitable end of their lifestyle, as the pioneer days give way to the 20’s and the modern age. MORE »
Posted at 3:51 PM in Movie Reviews and Robert Mitchum.
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