In a Lonely Place

1950 drama

Rating: 17/20

Plot: A washed-up screenwriter with anger issues becomes a suspect in the murder of a hatcheck girl and simultaneously falls for a neighbor who has past issues of her own.

"There's no sacrifice too great for a chance at immortality."

Black and white driving scenes almost always get me. This one starts with one of those and a shot of Bogart's eyes in the rearview mirror. From there, it's all driven by a witty script and a great nuanced Bogart performance.

I could have done without the George Antheil score here. It added nothing but was always there anyway, kind of like an old co-teacher I used to work with.

One standout scene is when Bogart's character entertains at a dinner party by directing a reenactment of the murder. He does it gleefully, a literal light on his face, and it's pretty chilling.

This movie goes about all the places you'd expect a noirish drama to go, but it does so with a pair a characters who intrigue with backpacks full of shadows and a lot more gloom.

One wonders if there's any satirical element here. There's are references to the film industry with the romantic leads playing a screenwriter and a B-movie actress, and then there's another character who's also an actor. Bogart's character seems to live as if he's writing the screenplay of his life as he goes. He probably should have given himself a happier ending.