Friday the 13th of January 2012
Stylish adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s Farewell My Lovely that’s almost perfect, with a Los Angeles cloaked in perpetual night, pierced only by glaring headlights and blazing neon signs. While other films may have done a better job with the Marlowe character, none have surpassed Dmytryk's recreation of Chandler’s Los Angeles.
The script does a good job incorporating Chandler's witty prose, and though it stumbles a bit during an ill-conceived drug sequence, even this stretch is peppered with Chandler’s snappy dialog.
As for the cast, Mazurki is excellent as a giant thug, as is Trevor as a vampy wife and Kruger as a slimy shrink. Unfortunately, Powell isn’t quite on target as Marlowe. He’s very good, and has the cynicism down pat, but he doesn't quite look tough enough. It’s not a deal-breaker, but with the rest of the cast so note-perfect, you can't help but wish for Bogart.
seen via TCM HD