The starting theme of this film is simple: "Look at the rack on this dame." All the rest is pretty much philosophical filler preparing for the rest of the film. The director makes sure the primary theme is emphasized throughout the first third of the movie by means of tight-fitting shirts and wide plunge-to-the-navel dresses... insuring that at least half of the viewers will follow the film through to the end whether they understand the unfolding plot or not. Admittedly, the girl has the goods to make that happen.
The film slowly curves to an almost-campy feel. The noir aspect is done just right, not too fuzzy, not too sharp. Most of the lines in the script are properly adept to the 30's and 40's. It falls short just enough to hint there's more to this film than a noir satire, but in the beginning doesn't take itself too seriously... quite yet. This allows the viewer to enjoy certain aspects of the film without being forced to delve too deeply into the philosophical paradoxes. But there's an overriding uneasy feeling that's a portent of what's to come.
The last third of the film is when they pour it on, and the foundation they've built to that point begins to hit paydirt. There are some brilliant ideas and lines here (although not original, still interesting to follow). If the viewers have stuck through the semi-cerebral dialog to this point they're likely to stick with it to the reveal. And there is a reveal... but it's just enough to hint at what's happening rather than spoil the mystery. Ordinarily I hate films that leave the viewer to figure out the purpose of the film, but in this case it works.
The acting starts out questionable. It's not good, not bad, some of it decidedly hammy where it fits. When it comes to the lead actress, acting isn't her prominent attraction. She's there to catch and hold initial attention while the writers and directors build the plot line. The supporting actors are sufficient to the job, but no one but the lead actress pushes their role too much. The lead actress does. Her acting gets better halfway through as the plot solidifies. This all is evidently by intent, initially making you question her role, then seeing that role developed and defined as the story unfolds.
Especially impressive are the sets and backgrounds. Simple and clean yet precisely period. The lighting is great (especially in the final scene) as is the use of fog and steam throughout the film. In this it's the little things that count, and the director uses them efficiently.
At first I was going to give this film a 5 star mediocre rating, but it kept getting better as it went along. At the end I realized the director skillfully pulled us along exactly as intended, tricking us by making us wonder whether this was a serious film or a satire. They made sure the question marks were in all the right places but the answers never quite handed to us on a platter. In the end if we've been paying attention we figure out what happened, but aren't quite sure we've figured it right. That aspect is surprisingly and very unusually satisfying. As stated prior, I usually hate questionable-ending films. Not hating it in this film indicates a decided mark of skill in the presentation.
Not a "brilliant" film, but somewhat in a class of its own. It's one of the best uses of neo-noir I've seen, with the plot both coming together and unraveling at the same time. That's a tricky balance, but one I feel they pulled off successfully.
