Superb Freudian crime thriller, noir-inflected in theme but shot by and large in crisp, bright drawing-rooms.
Comment
02/09/06
Angel Face (1952)
78 %
Reviews Counted: 9 Fresh: 7 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Synopsis: Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons star in this classic tale of love, money, and murder directed by Otto Preminger (ANATOMY OF A MURDER). This film noir centers on Diane, a femme fatale (Simmons) whose sweet features belie the murderess within. Diane is looking for someone to take the heat when... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Mona Freeman
Director: Otto Preminger
Reviews
1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Top Critic
This skilfully constructed noir, while not quite as convincing as some, still serves as a reminder that sometimes beautiful people can be the most dangerous.
05/24/03
Top Critic
For all of its unbelievability, Angel Face is consistently suspenseful under Preminger's sure direction. In short, you're never sure what that crazy woman will do next.
10/23/07
Top Critic
One of the best yet still underestimated film noir, boasting gloriously detailed mise-en-scene from Otto Preminger and a revelatory performance by the cast-against- type Jean Simmons as a murderess femme fatale.
04/06/07
A capable cast, headed by Jean Simmons and Robert Mitchum, and a nice, taut story idea have been set adrift in a pretentious Freudian mist that wafts through the handsomely mounted proceedings with disastrous results.
08/08/06
Top Critic
For the average viewer, this early fifties RKO noir might seem a tad slow, even a bit dreary. But if you look closer, what you'll find is an unnerving study of inertia and the empty blandness of your average murderer.
05/01/03
The sets, characters, and actions are extremely stylized, yet Preminger's moving camera gives them a frightening unity and fluidity, tracing a straight, clean line to a cliff top for one of the most audacious endings in film history.
03/31/03
1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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