House of Strangers

The romance between Conte and Hayward wasn't anything special, and even though Robinson did impress me in a few scenes he goes way too broad in his portrayal of the immigrant father. I guess the core of the film, his relationship to his sons, had potential, but it's been done better in many other movies. Maybe not back then yet, I guess.

Viewed March 25, 2022. This hinges on a patently ridiculous performance from Edward G. Robinson, who’s going full Super Mario World as the family’s patriarch (for reference, he’s introduced singing opera in the bath, then asking someone to “scrub-a” his back), and some of Mankiewicz’s stylistic choices are awkward. Consequently, the film doesn’t quite cohere, but there are passages of it that are full-on noir and quite exceptional.

Felt the ending was a cop out, but there was so much to love about this troubled family dynamic. First off, Edward G. Robinson was really superb as the father. Classic big mouth manipulator who always has to have it his way. Richard Conte was real strong as the independent son being betrayed by his other brothers. Great role for him. If only the ending had been as hot blooded as the rest of the story...

Its an engaging story and gets pretty tense in some scenes. The acting was a bit over the top and I felt that the pacing was a bit off.

Shattering family drama masquerading as noir, highlighted by Robinson's forceful and powerful performance as the venal patriarch, though performances all down the line are beautifully executed - Mankiewicz's subtle directorial touches maintain a low-key tension for all of the family drama scenes, before ramping things up for the intense climax; a forced happy-ish ending takes the bloom somewhat off the rose. Seeds of GODFATHER influence abound (including alumni Conte in the lead!)

"...too many people talking..." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/02/episode-48-mankiewicz-before-eve-1946.html

Conte and Robinson are excellent and Hayward is great noir lady. But the real strength is in the relationships. The father son relationships full of love and hate, the brotherly trust turning to bitterness, the cultural and generational gaps between old world and new world, between honour and the law. The structure, too, takes away the tension and intrigue and replaces it with curiosity and mixed sympathies to great effect.

There are some noir elements, but they're pretty sparse. It's mostly just your average family melodrama. Second problem: Robinson plays a ridiculous caricature. He-a talk-a like dis! It's really painful. Third problem: Richard Conte. His character is all over the place. You feel like you're supposed to be rooting for him, but he's kind of a dick. I enjoyed the basic plot and the bitter tone, and there were some fine examples of nice framing... otherwise I was disappointed.