Mini-Review: could find nothing likable about it.
Mini-Review: entertaining as hell with a great sense of deadpan humor. strong performance by whitaker, a very fun alternative take on crime.
Mini-Review: pretty amazingly shot and written.
Mini-Review: tons of fun. charismatic and well-paced. the mess of subplots only added to the immense entertainment value.
Mini-Review: torridly paced; feels like a snapshot rather than a moving film. theological/political discussion needs expansion; plot needed better development and better use of brothers' chemistry.
Mini-Review: lacked flow and, surprisingly, chemistry between its lead characters. the absence of a spark between bogart and his accompanying cast rather capped my engrossment in the film.
Mini-Review: through all the gloss, style, and general coolness, there wasn't much to this film. the stoic protagonist's unclear motivations make it hard to take sides with anyone and make it difficult even to appreciate his manipulation of the crime lords around him. the soundtrack earns it many points, while the stylization ultimately cancels out.
Mini-Review: a fantastic film hampered only by the ending foolishness of bogart's character, and the silliness of the narrator who insists upon telling rather than showing. great stuff by both bogart and cagney; the singer adds a great feminine touch; and gladys george is a snarky, entertaining lil' devil.
Mini-Review: fairly well constructed, but badly hurt by its dearth of interesting characters. just not compelling and doesn't feel worth the time.
Mini-Review: overall, a little hard to believe that such a stupid guy could rise so quickly to power. police are absolutely awful. however, compact, manageable, and gripping while it runs.