rajivramaratnam
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Movie Review: Double Indemnity (1944)
“Double Indemnity” is considered one of the landmark movies of the film noir era. It inspired numerous movies in several languages, including “The Postman Always Rings Twice” and “Body Heat.” The movie, based on a novel of the same name by James M. Cain, has its screenplay written by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder. And Read more
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Movie Review: The Big Sleep (1946)
The Big Sleep is an adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1939 novel of the same name. It features one of the most famous PIs of film noir, Phillip Marlowe. Writing a review of “The Big Sleep” has been challenging. Not only do I have to answer the question, if Bogart is the best Marlowe, I also Read more
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Movie Review: The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers (1946)
The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers is another not-to-be-missed film noir, of the drama variety. It is based on a short story, ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, by playwright, John Patrick. The story surrounds three imperfect and dysfunctional people, Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck), Sam Masterson(Van Heflin), and Walter O’Neil. The role of O’Neil is played by legendary Read more
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Movie Review: The Body (El Cuerpo) (2012)
From Spanish director Oriol Paulo comes a taut thriller, The Body (El Cuerpo), one of the most original thrillers in recent times. This is a riveting movie that keeps its audience engaged from the first scene to its explosive climax. The movie’s inimitable success prompted unofficial remakes in Kannada and Tamil (Game / Oru Mellia Read more
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Movie Review: Knives Out (2019)
‘Knives Out’ It is great that we are now seening seen a revival of WhoDunIt movies featuring intelligent sleuths. Kenneth Branaugh resurrected Belgian, Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s most famous detective, in two movies, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’(2017) and ‘Death on the Nile’(2022). Director Rian Johnson has presented us with a new sleuth, Bennoit Blanc, Read more
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Movie Review: Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
From director Anatole Litvak, comes the mystery film noir, Sorry Wrong Number. The movie is based on a radio play of the same name, by Lucille Fletcher. The movie stars Barbara Stanwyck as Leona Stevenson a bed-ridden wealthy woman, who thanks to a crossed phone line, overhears two men planning to commit a murder. Leona, Read more
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