Key Largo (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Husband & wife Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall team up with fantastic director John Huston for the film noir classic, 'Key Largo'. Bogie plays Frank McCloud, just returning from the war in Europe, to meet the father of a soldier friend killed in action. The father of this ill-fated soldier is James Temple (legendary Lionel Barrymore) who owns the Key Largo hotel; and there, Frank also meets the widow of his soldier friend, daughter Nora (Bacall). Also present at said hotel are some suspicious men including Johnny Rocco (the always charismatic Edward G. Robinson), who turns out to be a wanted gangster from Chicago.
Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor) is along for the ride as Johnny's bar singer-turned-alcoholic lady friend. Frank, James, & Nora are held hostage in the hotel until Johnny Rocco has closed a certain "deal". Adding to the already unwanted complications are the police (searching for two local Indians), & an approaching hurricane. The 2 villains, gangsters & the hurricane, all have their moments to show that they. mean. business. Drama ensues.
The film is an obvious good vs. evil tale, but it also plays out as a slow burn character study contrasting Bogart's war veteran character searching for a new identity with Edward G. Robinson's aging gangster character searching for his old identity. Bogie's character, Frank, reflects (with woefulness & melancholy) on what it means returning from the war to find that the world is still a troubling place back at home. And Robinson's Johnny Rocco ponders why he isn't "on the top" anymore; blaming other rival mobs for fighting with each other; subsequently ending Prohibition & his primary source of illegal income.
The acting is superb from all (Claire Trevor even won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her sad, boozy portrayal of Gaye Dawn). Humphrey Bogart impressed me with his matter-of-factness & his world weariness. He has an immensely watchable face. Speaking of hypnotic faces, Lauren Bacall plays the widow-in-sorrow role quite well, too; she normally plays a strong, independent type. I liked her easy chemistry with Lionel Barrymore, who is superb, himself. I just loved watching him cantankerously bark back & forth with Edward G. Robinson; trying to hold his ground against the mobster in his own hotel.
And Edward G. Robinson proves to be more than just menacing. At any point, you feel like his Johnny Rocco could pull a trigger and anyone could fall. And yet, funnily enough, he has an intense fear of the hurricane that's bearing down on them in Key Largo; which makes him more vulnerable than your typical cold-blooded villain. I enjoyed the tropical setting. I found it impressive that the film plays in one hotel solely; yet, it never feels stagey. The action scenes are well-shot & paced. Director John Huston keeps a claustrophobic tension that is maintained throughout; building to a great climax in a boat on the foggy sea. The final result is a very good film that grabbed my attention early on, falls prey to some narrative lulls, but then rebounds in the final half hour. I enjoyed 'Key Largo' greatly.
Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor) is along for the ride as Johnny's bar singer-turned-alcoholic lady friend. Frank, James, & Nora are held hostage in the hotel until Johnny Rocco has closed a certain "deal". Adding to the already unwanted complications are the police (searching for two local Indians), & an approaching hurricane. The 2 villains, gangsters & the hurricane, all have their moments to show that they. mean. business. Drama ensues.
The film is an obvious good vs. evil tale, but it also plays out as a slow burn character study contrasting Bogart's war veteran character searching for a new identity with Edward G. Robinson's aging gangster character searching for his old identity. Bogie's character, Frank, reflects (with woefulness & melancholy) on what it means returning from the war to find that the world is still a troubling place back at home. And Robinson's Johnny Rocco ponders why he isn't "on the top" anymore; blaming other rival mobs for fighting with each other; subsequently ending Prohibition & his primary source of illegal income.
The acting is superb from all (Claire Trevor even won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her sad, boozy portrayal of Gaye Dawn). Humphrey Bogart impressed me with his matter-of-factness & his world weariness. He has an immensely watchable face. Speaking of hypnotic faces, Lauren Bacall plays the widow-in-sorrow role quite well, too; she normally plays a strong, independent type. I liked her easy chemistry with Lionel Barrymore, who is superb, himself. I just loved watching him cantankerously bark back & forth with Edward G. Robinson; trying to hold his ground against the mobster in his own hotel.
And Edward G. Robinson proves to be more than just menacing. At any point, you feel like his Johnny Rocco could pull a trigger and anyone could fall. And yet, funnily enough, he has an intense fear of the hurricane that's bearing down on them in Key Largo; which makes him more vulnerable than your typical cold-blooded villain. I enjoyed the tropical setting. I found it impressive that the film plays in one hotel solely; yet, it never feels stagey. The action scenes are well-shot & paced. Director John Huston keeps a claustrophobic tension that is maintained throughout; building to a great climax in a boat on the foggy sea. The final result is a very good film that grabbed my attention early on, falls prey to some narrative lulls, but then rebounds in the final half hour. I enjoyed 'Key Largo' greatly.