zamani

Though this movie seems acceptable at the first time and has an passable ending. When compared Mephisto Waltz (1971) it pales in plot and impact. It takes too much time to resolve the mystery and some experience's viewers might guess whats going on. I admit that many Hollywood's productions or remakes suffer from the same defect and it may not be fair to compare every movie with its similar movies that has been made before. But it is reasonable to expect with so much more budget, so much more experience, and so match more talents to have better stories and performances than a movie that was made in 1971. The very strange thing is that the Mephisto Waltz has more twist in the plot than the Skeleton key Because it did not stop at the main idea and had the story going after that which was not the case of the skeleton key

No good deed based on a short story by Dashiell Hammett is kind of movies that have many elements and themes of a classic film no-ire but it is not exactly one of them. The themes include a robbery plan that goes awry though here it is more of a con rather than robbery and it is executed without resorting to violence. Second theme is domed love

which in this movie is rather short, more of this later. The elements include mastermind and ruthless gangster, a femme fatal , and rude maniac hit-man. And add to these people a

couple that had a dream of living happily ever after. The strength of the movie is in building up of its characters. They all do what they are expected to do whether they act strongly or

weakly. Their strength and weakness comes from their personalities and not from the requirement of the plot. Erin character is the main difference of this movie from classic femme fatal. As a kept girl with ten percent rebate on pedicure expense, though she is cunning in some scenes , but she is also deadly frightened. Her motives are dark at worst and suspicious at best, but in her main thrust of manipulations (getting rid of Tyrone) she deserves our sympathy. Other characters do not show something unexpected ,but the story has enough power and twist that make the movie worthwhile and interesting. Movie scenes are limited, and most of it is in closed places which intensifies a sense of claustrophobia. This kind of story which has little physical action and is mainly based on suspenses needs good acting, that fortunately this movie does not lack it. This movie shows that good noir still can be made and their time has not passed yet

I see this movie and could not relate to it. I could not find the basic point of the movie. First of all this is a movie that tries to show that only human can treat other humans like animal and in the process himself became an animal. The rape scene is designed to be repulsive and totally is. But the problem is that the rapist is an animal even before he begins his savage act. Another below to the movie and its message comes from unfolding of the story which is in reverse order. this is a major below because it puts the rape scene near the beginning of the movie . The revenge scene before the rape, so the viewer does not have any antipathy to the rapist and just watches a pointless act of violence(till that time in the movie) and the movie ends with a paradise like scene, which is contrary to the main point of the movie. But I think the rape scene is one of the most effective and hopeful of that kind and in this respect even surpass the similar scenes in Salo. Film has a good message but it is delivered by only one scene and not the whole movie, and because of this its effect has been diluted