i've been a fan of both kim novak and frank sinatra...but was suprised to see with what magnitude they both acted in this one. both are incredibly beliveable and i was soooooo impressed with sinatra. i think it's possibly his best.
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I saw this movie for the first time just recently, on DVD. There were so many good & interesting elements in this film, which was one of Preminger's best, it's hard to comment on all of them.
I loved the exterior settings of the neighborhod, which clearly were either on an elaborately built soundstage or on the backlot. The grittiness of it, the litter on the street, the sort of grungy atmosphere was wonderful to look at.
This was clearly Sinatra's best performance in a film; the 'cold turkey' sequence in Molly's room was clearly meant to be the centerpiece of the story.
But for me, it was Kim Novak's performance that elevated this film, and she did more than justice to her character, which was pivotal to the story because Molly truly was Frankie's shining light. Talk about tough love!
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I agree with your comments and just want to add that Sinatra's performance in the cold turkey scene was simply astounding. Compare to Martin Sheen's drunken hotel room scene in Apocalypse Now (Sheen was reportedly actually drunk when he filmed the scene).
I think this film belongs right up there with Streetcar Named Desire and Requiem for a Dream...one of the all-time greats, but with an ending that leaves you hopeful about the hero's ultimate fate.
I would say that "Laura" was Otto Preminger's best film, but this was a daring project at the time, and very well done. Sinatra clearly deserved Best Actor, as good as Ernest Borgnine, James Cagney, Spencer Tracy and James Dean were. I think he lost partly because he had just won two years prior.
shareThe best performer in this film was Darren McGavin. As good as Sinatra, Novak, and Eleanor Parker were, McGavin blew them all away when he was on-screen. His character was the epitome of scum.
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You are right about McGavin. Even when the other actors are OK, McGavin seems a real snake with a despicable smile. His character is very well played and -perhaps of Preminger`s indications- you can feel an odd smell of homosexuality around him. Of course it is never very clear. It just runs under the surface.
abel posadas
I caught that - the bit about homosexuality, that is - he was covered in it - the seductive way he spoke to Frankie and he touched him a few times when he lured him to his room for another fix, and...did he really have to take his shirt off while making a sale?
Overall, I loved McGavin's portrayal of Louie, especially in the beginning when he had his back to Frankie and whistled _I'll be around" and stalked off.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked.
You are right about this actor. His peers are OK but his character is played with subtlety, including certain sexual undercurrents. Perhaps Mr Preminger wanted it so but McGavin does it to perfection
abel posadas
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i was pretty impressed with Sinatra's performance too, certainly one of the better performances given by a singer turned actor in a movie
so many movies, so little time
It has a lot of great performances
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