A good movie, spoiled for me by having read the book. Major characters are omitted; plot and scene are changed (sometimes to good effect, sometimes not). But if you haven't read the book, you'll enjoy this more than I did.

Pretty good 70's noir. It's weird seeing Elliot Gould in a leading role at that age. My first exposure to him was as Ross and Monica's dad from Friends and then from the Ocean's movies. So it's weird seeing him as the star of a film. He was excellent but it was weird. He was constantly whispering jokes to himself in that weird voice of his, it was strange but in a good way. Anyway, it was well shot and acted throughout and it had a great ending.

An exceptional film noir, worth seeing for Sterling Hayden's performance alone. It's not nearly as good as Chinatown but then what is?

One of my all time favorites. A black comedy film noir in the bright sun of California? Whoa. Plus: Sterling Hayden

Got even better when I started imagining Rodney Dangerfield delivering Gould's lines

Elliot Gould's performance in this is my absolute favorite in any film. The decision to put Philip Marlowe in the 70's is awesome. Using only the title song as a soundtrack is brilliant. Everything about this movie just blows me away. I don't know how anyone couldn't love it. (two times)

Good fun, well done, flat foot detective story. That's it.

woulda given this a higher rating if blubbering mouthbreather Eliot Gould wasn't in it. He's always bugged me the same way Raphael Nadal is always pulling his shorts out from his bum-crack. BOTHERSOME. Big cinematic moment when the really REALLY weird Henry Gibson slaps Sterling Hayden's face in front of everyone, as Sterling, if you can believe it, shamefully retreats.

Gould can take a little time to get used to but once the elements all come into play [Sterling Hayden is key] - it's time for entertainment. Extraordinary cinematography, even for Altman 70s prime.

A very fine revisionist noir. It's pretty straightforward - although intelligent and very well acted - for most of the film, but in the last 30 minutes the plot gets surprisingly fast-paced and jumpy. If those minutes are taken too seriously you'd say Altman missed the point, but if seen as the Hollywood satire that it's supposed to be, it's a lot more satisfying.

This film turned me off at first, but it impresses me more every time I look at it. Robert Altman's Philip Marlowe is updated to a post-Vietnam Hollywood were crumbling values make evil and idealism equally difficult.

I was unexpectedly blown away by this. Within the first 30 minutes I was thinking to myself "this is everything that Noir could have been, but wasn't." Marlowe's muttered smartass comments are spot on, and the chipper, overwritten, over performed dialogue of 40s and 50s Noir seems silly by comparison. If Noir had only had the balls to go here earlier, we would have had a totally different (and superior) genre on our hands. The only thing holding this film back is its plot, but who cares?

My favorite Altman. Elliott Gould is a total dude, Arnold sports a sweet mustache, lots of breasts, etc. Just another great film from the era.

540

Fantastic. Elliot Gould is charismatic and Altman's use of sound editing and fluid camerawork are truly masterful.

Don't mess with the cat.

It's okay with me.

I can't help but love Elliot Gould's performance, even though he's downright terrible in one particular scene. And I can definitely understand why others can't stand him from start to finish. I also love the ending even though it's not really earned at all. Hayden's character and Altman's direction are undeniably superb. Pretty much everything just worked for me. It's just a strange ass film all around, and I like that.

Gould is terribly cool in this role, affecting an unaware self-assuredness that lend his actions gravitas. The plot itself is a little out of focus, but the style with which it is addressed is compelling. The film has a few technical issues, some of the scenes were clearly dubbed over which hurt the film's developing atmosphere, but for the most part it does an excellent job of capturing the unfolding story with a touch of surrealism. Far from perfect, but definitely enjoyable.

Gould is magnetic in the chain-smoking private-eye lead role, and even when in some scenes his acting lets him down, his undeniable charm and wit pulls him through. Altman's direction is brilliant too, with some great camera work and two or three supurb scenes. The slightly loose storytelling and some rather poor support performances (Van Pallandt particuarly) are the only real, but significant negatives. I loved the final couple of scenes though and overall its very enjoyable.

best neighbors ever

The best neo-noir. Good companion piece for Chinatown.

#546

Not one of my favorite Altman's but still pretty damn enjoyable and awesome. You're either gonna love or hate Elliott Gould but I found him to be pretty badass. Nice Schwarzenegger cameo and you gotta love all the random Altman esque things happening in the background at all times. Minus the lung cancer this movie gave me it was pretty sweet.

Excellent neo-noir, retro-noir or whatever you wanna call it, from when Altman and Gould could do no wrong. Leigh Brackett's script twists and turns in true Chandler fashion, and Sterling Hayden - the epitome of cool - is not to be missed.

I really wanted to like this one, as I love film noir, but something about it rubbed me the wrong way. I think my viewing was way too fragmented.