Rating of
2.5/4
"Harper" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 03/05/12
Detective Paul Newman quips his way through a case for which he is hired by a cold-hearted Lauren Bacall to find her eccentric millionaire husband. Paul Newman displays his usual charm and humour in this noir style mystery, with Lauren Bacall fitting like a glove into her familiar role of bitter femme fatale. Unfortunately the overly jokey tone compromises the darker edges of the plot and the garish photography and overly conspicuous 60s jazz-pop soundtrack have dated it rather badly, as does the supporting cast of TV movie caricatures. The overall effect is to make it feel like a feature length episode of The Rockford Files. But the fact is, I loved The Rockford Files. The jokes are funny, the plot keeps you interested and Newman is always worth watching. Dated, yes, but it never fails to entertain.
