Meurtres à l'Empire State Building

I found this film really interesting for a lot of reasons. It opened my eyes to parts of Hollywood I'd never even thought about before. The interviews are excellent, charming, humorous and really well-performed by some of the best veteran actors around today. The one thing that really plucked at my heart strings was this was the last notable performance from Kirk Douglas. I always loved his films and I find it fitting that his last appearance on screen is in a tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood. If I rewind his career and watch everything up to now, it feels like coming full circle for this acting giant! Long may he live!!

I'm still not entirely sure why this film made such an impression on me. Perhaps I'm just a bit of a sucker for film noir...

Karel's mash-up mockumentary of clips from a host of classical Hollywood films and "interviews" with actors (in character) is used to tell a very noir'ish story of forbidden love, gangsters, undercover cops and lots and lots of murders.

It's not a hugely surprising plot, almost cliché, but there's something about the blending of old clips and "interviews" that just plain works.

I also think the decision to keep it to a fairly brief 88 minutes (well, the version I saw was actually 82 minutes, incl. credits) was the right one. Any longer and the clichés would probably have gotten too thick.

When I saw this on Aussie TV (ABC) one Sunday night I was surprised to see it had not appeared on this site and it took me a while to get the details to post it here, but it is well worthwhile because it is a fine little TV vignette to film Noir and a great chance to see some fine old actors and Cyd Charisse in her final screen appearance, along with Kirk Douglas in a strong non-speaking role and the rest of these Hollywood legends. It has echoes of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid but without the humour. Well worth seeing as a curiosity piece and to enjoy some grand old film clips from the golden years of yore!!!

I would give this an 8 out of 10