Moontide

The film's finest moments come in the first ten minutes with a delirious montage that nicely captures the essence of a long, drunken night on the town. Everything else beyond that point is just kinda dull. Finely acted noirish film with a molasses-slow plot, placed on a cheap TV-lot set.

I'm scratching my head: This has an amazing cast. It works wonders with some pretty basic sets, including the dramatic "foggy confrontation" ending scene. And yet, the story seemed a bit too basic for all of that. While there were dramatic moments, they didn't quite fit together to make a whole. There are some pieces missing, which is too bad, as what we can see of this puzzle looks like it could have been a real winner with just a little more.

Gabin’s introduction at the beginning set the tone for his great performance, alongside a very decent Lupino. There was something missing for me in terms of tension and anticipation, which is a shame.

After slogging through the crappy first 10 minutes this became an interesting and suspenseful movie, mostly suspenseful because I was waiting for the House of Cards to fall, and when it does wow.

Oh, this suited my taste. A very rare chance of seeing the French ruffian master Jean Gabin in Hollywood.... TALKING ENGLISH!!! Good English too! That alone makes Moontide (1942) a must! I liked the minimalistic setting at the pier. Reminded me a little of the atmosphere in Le quai des brumes (1938), though not that great, even if this did receive a Oscar nomination for Best Black-and-White Cinematography. This had more European roots than the usual Hollywood polish.

Ano de Centenário de Ida Lupino: Filme #7 (atriz). Estava indo tudo muito bem porque Gabin, Lupino e Rains são luminosos, mas o excessivo toque melodramático do final desandou a coisa toda. DVDRip no MakingOff

Star Rating: ★★★★

Gabin has strength, a hint of weakness and an incredibly effortless charm. Even before Lupino came into the picture he had me hooked, and once she appears and changes the direction of the film nothing could keep me away. They give an incredible depiction of melancholy and relief and the rest of the cast is great in how they provide atmosphere, and occasionally help move the plot, but never distract from the leads. It's also a beautiful film, making great use of the darkness, shadows, and fog.

Jean Gabin acting the shit out of those yankees. Looking for sources to that bastard called 'film noir'? Then definitely check out this poetic realism influenced slowburner.

A rather disjointed experience. Much of it feels superfluous and out of place. Still, there are a number of highlights. Gabin fits nicely into the role. Lupino and Mitchell are both very good as well, and there's a delightful performance by Rains. The darker sequences are spectacular, with incredibly evocative lighting. There's also a wild, phantasmagorical sequence inspired by Dali. Overall, more good than bad, but too much mediocre to make a strong impact. Great climax, though.