When it comes to hard boiled 1930's LA Noir, and movies like The Big Sleep, the Maltese Falcon, and Chinatown, count me in. How I wish I could tell you to drop everything and find a screening of Marlowe with Liam Neeson as the one and only Philip Marlowe, chasing down a missing lover for a blonde headed dame in 1939. Marlowe captures the look of the films I loved. I understand the filmmakers shot in Barcelona, Spain, where the alleys and buildings look like the art deco classics we remember in black and white. The cast has promise, with sultry Diane Kruger as the spurned lover, Jessica Lange as her mother, and Alan Cumming and Danny Huston as tough guys. Huston especially tries to channel his famous father John, appearing sometimes to recite dialog right out of Chinatown. As I said, I wish I could tell you to rush right out and find Marlowe. Alas. Save your money. This Marlowe goes through the motion but avoids any of the spark. The plot and acting offer nothing new. Noir fans - stick to the originals.
