Couch Theater – October 8, 2020

#Middlebury #DVD #Movie #Video

There are a great many types of crime movie. Some are capers, some cerebral and others plain violent. One of my favorites is noir with its hard-boiled detectives, shady intrigues and the sultry dame who might have been victimized but was not playing a victim. While the elements of noir are the dark shadows and the moody tone, it is not just seen in the black and white traditions of the past. Here are seven stylish examples of neo-noir from the past 25 years.

“Seven” (1995) – In director David Fincher’s crime thriller, a detective on the brink of retirement and a fresh-faced transfer to the city (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, respectively) investigate a series of gruesome killings that are staged to punish the victim for perpetrating one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

“L.A. Confidential” (1997) – Smashing the bar for neo-noir, this film has mood and setting in spades. Against the iconic Los Angeles backdrop, we find corrupt cops, a murder at a diner, a power vacuum in the criminal underbelly, a shady gossip magazine publisher, a Veronica Lake lookalike and a web of vengeance and ambition that threatens to ensnare them all.

“Memento” (2000) – Guy Pearce stars as Leonard, who suffers from short term memory loss that complicates his search for the criminal who raped and murdered his wife. Director Christopher Nolan keeps you off-balance with interrupted timelines and frenetic shifts, while Pearce is convincing as a man who communicates his progress to himself via tattoos and notes.

“Mulholland Drive” (2001) – After a mysterious car accident in the Hollywood Hills, a lone woman takes refuge in the apartment of aspiring actress Betty (Naomi Watts). The pair attempt to uncover the woman’s identity through her only possessions: cash and a large blue key. Nothing is what it seems in a David Lynch film, and each riddle solved creates ripples of doubt about what is real.

Clive Owen in “Sin City” (Dimension Films photo)

“Sin City” (2005) – Ripped from the master pages of Frank Miller, this overtly stylized story is gritty and garish, and perfect neo-noir. With an ensemble cast of heavy hitters, it encompasses stories of framed cops, abusive exes, prostitutes and hit men.

“Drive” (2011) – A stunt driver who takes the occasional getaway job, the Driver (Ryan Gosling) falls for his single-mom neighbor, but when her ex is released from prison and owes protection money to a gangster, the Driver is lured into a single-score job to save himself and his would-be girlfriend.

“Gone Girl” (2014) – Based on a book by Gillian Flynn, the story surrounds the relationship between husband Nick (Ben Affleck) and wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). Amy goes missing and Nick is presumed to be the culprit after some foul play. Fabricated evidence and unearthed liaisons later, the truth isn’t so solid.

© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.