Gumshoe

A Liverpool bingo caller of the 70's enlivens his dull life by taking on an old style private detective alter-ego. Complete with raincoat and accent!

This is one of my favourite cult movies and this might be a good chance to try and look inside my own mind and find out why. Leading with the negatives, this film has a few ideas, but not enough to make a full film out of them. If you feel that some of the scenes are padding (quite a lot actually) then you are right!

Finney fancies himself as a kind of Sam Spade let loose on a Liverpool of the 1970's (interesting to see it like it was in the 60's) and we enter the slightly seedy world of the working man's club. Something that those outside of the UK will find hard to grasp -- a kind of cheap private drinking hole meets low rent cabaret.

The real problem is that the thing is weakened by non of the parties (especially the lead) seeming to be taking the case seriously, which means that while he is in limited danger we are more yawning than sitting on the edge of our seats.

What makes it for me is the fast word play of Finney and the general irony of the script in going in to places that fashion says we shouldn't be going. It leads up to a giant feeling of so-what -- but I like to see movies that are a bit different and it always holds me in its strange faded and seedy grip. Maybe it has something to do with having been to these sorts of places myself.

I found it rather hard to follow-but it never bores. Some nice cameos from Ken Jones, Wendy Richard and especially Fulton Mackay. Sadly- Janice Rule seems to play as if she's a 'Bond' Villain/ess The only real below performance for me. The film ends on a tremendous 50s pastiche of a song "Baby You're Good For Me" by Roy Young! Why on earth wasn't this put out as a single- i'll never know!? Amazingly written by Lloyd Weber & Rice! For that- i'd give the pair a day out of hell as reward!

In the seedy world of pulp fiction, private detectives like Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade prowl, cynically solving crimes while clad in their trench coats, fedoras cocked at jaunty angles and cigarettes burning. Eddie Ginley- a noir-loving small-time comedian at a Liverpudlian bingo hall- wants a slice of the gumshoe action, and places an advertisement in the newspaper offering his services as P. I. Almost immediately, Eddie nabs a gig and, despite his greenness, makes some headway on the case. As he delves deeper into the sordid underground of heroin smuggling, will Eddie solve the mystery; or end up sleeping with the fishes?

Written by Neville Smith, Stephen Frears' directorial debut 'Gumshoe' is a brilliant homage to the genre of film noir and detective fiction in general. A witty and clever tribute to the classics of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Smith's dialogue is quick and sharp, mimicking the snappy banter and witty one-liners of the hard-boiled heroes. The back and forth between his characters is a constant delight to listen to, even if the plot around them is a little underdeveloped and predictable at times.

What makes 'Gumshoe' really stand out from other noir parodies, like Neil Simon's 'The Cheap Detective' or 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid,' is Frears' naturalistic approach to the material. He strikes a fine balance between the screenplay's noir stylizations and the harsh realities of life in early 70's Liverpool. The film does not shy away from showing the poverty, unemployment and social unrest that plagued the city at the time. Eddie is not a glamorous or heroic figure; he is a struggling comedian who lives in a shabby flat, signs on the dole and has a complicated relationship with his brother's wife. He also faces racism, violence and corruption as he pursues the case. These elements add a layer of realism and depth to the film, making it more than just a spoof.

Chris Menges' cinematography is as intuitive and striking as Frears' direction, reminiscent in terms of composition and framing of the work of John Seitz or Sidney Hickox. He makes excellent use of light and shadow to reenforce the film's links to noir, while his utilization of handheld cameras helps foster a sense of realism and intimacy with the characters. Additionally, Michael Seymour's detailed production design and Harry Cordwell's set decoration adds further atmosphere to proceedings; ensuring that 'Gumshoe' is a real visual treat.

'Gumshoe' finds Albert Finney headlining as Eddie, delivering a performance of much charm and wit. A down-at-heel character who loves to speak like Bogart, Eddie is something of an eccentric P. I. to say the least, and Finney ensures he is always on the entertaining side of strange. Clearly enjoying the material, Finney's exuberant performance is one to be cherished, and he and his co-stars work wonderfully together. Billie Whitelaw does particularly fine work as Eddie's ex-lover and current sister-in-law, and Fulton Mackay has a scene-stealing turn as a rival P. I. hot on Eddie's tail. All in all, from the largest to the smallest role; all are played to perfection.

A sure-fire cinematic gem, 'Gumshoe' deserves more recognition. A smart and funny homage to film noir- that also offers a glimpse into the dark side of Liverpool in the 1970's- the film is immensely enjoyable. Featuring a charismatic performance from Albert Finney, witty dialogue and strong characterization, the film has a lot to offer. Frears' naturalistic approach serves the material brilliantly, and despite its narrative flaws; 'Gumshoe' readily entertains. If you are a fan of film noir or pulp fiction, you'll never want to say "farewell, my lovely" to 'Gumshoe'.

Stephen Frears was the ideal choice to direct this quirky little gem. His first film before a prestigious career in television and then in Hollywood shows off his sensitivity, compassion and efficency as a film maker beautifully. Albert Finney gives an astounding performance as our hero, Eddie Ginley, whose life on the surface is far from glamorous. An unemployed Liverpudlian who gets by as a bingo caller and wannabe comic, he is loved by everyone except his repulsive brother William (Frank Finlay) and has recently had to suffer his girlfriend (Billie Whitelaw) leaving him and marrying the sinister William. Eddie however has a boyish love for film noir, the stories of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, and the music of Elvis. When he decides to advertise his services as a private detective, he finds himself up to his neck in murder, drug dealing and South African politics! Finney manages both a weathered Scouse accent and a remarkable impression of Bogart incredibly. He is a lovable character, excellently written and played, who could have sustained a whole series of films. Billie Whitelaw is the Lauren Bacall style femme fatale, and the outsanding Janice Rule the seductive villainess. A fine array of British character actors like Bill Dean, Fulton Mackay and George Innes sprinkle the whole film with colour and eccentricity. The in-jokes for fans of Bogart films are spot-on but anyone can enjoy this film, with some superb one liners and very touching moments. But the whole film is stolen fair and square by the soundtrack, courtesy of Andrew Lloyd Webber of all people! From fifties style rockers, to pensive strings to huge, grandiose thirties style epic themes, the score is a delight. The finest moment is suely Eddie's outwitting of the irreplaceable Fulton MacKay on a tube train. Writer Neville Smith (who plays a small role) showed a less humourous approach to a loner's hero worship of his idols in his 1979 tv play Long Distance Information, in which he played the lead character, Christian, an Elvis obsessed DJ who is working on the night of the King's death. Gumshoe is not really a comedy though, but a pastiche, affectionate and observant. It does have it's dark moments though, including a heroin suicide and a couple of moments of violence. And like any good Raymond Chandler, the plot is unbelievably complicated and the least important element!

Produced early in Stephen Frears's nearly forty-year career, "Gumshoe" is an affectionate take on the Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler film adaptations that were popular in the 1940's. The movie is great fun, and Bogie aficionados will be especially pleased, if they can decipher the often-impenetrable British accents. Like "The Big Sleep" and other films of the private-eye genre, the plot is a series of seemingly unconnected events that, in this case, almost literally come together at the denouement. The smart banter between Bogart and Bacall echoes in the breathless quips that Albert Finney and Billie Whitelaw trade in some of the film's best moments. A Sydney Greenstreet wannabe is known simply as the fat man, and a dangerous beauty in the persona of Janice Rule is the requisite duplicitous fatale.

As handsome as he was in "Two for the Road" a few years earlier, Finney appears to be having fun as Eddie Ginley, an English Sam Spade. He has the appropriately rumpled demeanor and looks good in a trench coat. His deadpan film-noir-style narration enhances the 1940's feel, although, despite the gritty color, the film cries out for the velvety light and shadows of black-and-white photography. Short, entertaining, and well made on all counts, "Gumshoe" is a minor gem that merits more attention. The film predates "Prick Up Your Ears" and "My Beautiful Laundrette," the director's two breakout films from the mid-1980s, and, after the success of "The Queen" in 2006, viewers owe themselves the pleasure of discovering the talent on display in Stephen Frears's early efforts.