Side Street

Though it would be a lie to claim that Granger is among the most convincing of actors, there's nothing very wrong with this noir pic. But it's sort of generic and, for several longer stretches, struggled to hold my attention.

Good cast, and the pairing of Granger-O'Donnell continues to prove charismatic. Extended (and pointless) VO intro is a debit, since this one isn't really a police procedural but a little-guy-in-a-big-jam noir.

Voice-over is a common noir trait, but here it's done so horribly and is so entirely unnecessary that it becomes a drawback. The film is really brutal at times, and perfectly captures the story of a guy who can't catch a break and always seems to do the wrong thing. The use of New York locations is utterly fantastic, highlighted by outstanding photography. As a whole, the movie doesn't stand up as a complete masterpiece, but there are some exhilirating elements.

A nice little film noir with a great Manhattan setting. The situation Granger finds himself in is pretty tough, and the chiaroscuro of NYC is outstanding. There are a few scenes that set up some potentially tense opportunities, but sometimes the movie fails to capitalize on these. Even so, it's not a bad watch by any means, and the car chase climax is excellent.

Anthony Mann's Side Street (1950) ends-up being quite the chase race into the crime world. Farley Granger's character sure makes some stupid decisions, and the rest is a hellish search to recover the stolen money, with the more nasty crooks being one step ahead of him. Very thrilling!

This compelling "you got the wrong man" police procedural noir was shot almost entirely on real locations in New York and uses the city extremely well. Big skyscrapers and authentic neighborhood locales give it a lot of atmosphere. Granger and O'Donnell, reteaming after "They Live By Night", don't get a lot of screen time together, but O'Donnell is simply radiant in the scenes she does have.

"Side Street" is well made, but the main character lacks consistency, making the film less enjoyable.

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Star Rating: ★★★1/2

MGM trusted they could reproduce the sensation Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell had while starring in Nicholas Ray's They Live by Night, but they just couldn't generate the same romantic fire with this script. The acting feels forced at times, demonstrating transitions rather than creating, or allowing them. It's not a plaguing, or by any means unique, flaw, and there are moments of effective acting and writing, but Side Street succeeds primarily for its action sequences.

I have a thing against overly anxious characters in crime films and there's about 10 to 15 minutes near the beginning where Farley Granger was nearly unbearable. Thankfully it does get better and while the pacing is a little stop and go we get a decent little story and some bright moments. The ending is definitely the highlight with an excellent car chase, as are some great shots of NYC. Lower tier noir, but still a good time.

Solid old Noir, that really captures the American Dream that is NYC on the surface, and the sprawling corrupt, undesirable side of it that anyone who looks closely will find. Here even the good people fall ill. The cinematography is excellent, the city is shot on location and from strange angles which adds an extra dimension. The plot is non-direct, it has a few layers that slowly merge together and untangle themselves, as our protagonist falls deeper and deeper into an unwelcome predicament.

It's a good noir - little about it is remarkable, but if it does anything really wrong, I'm unaware. Granger gives a solid lead performance, and the story is compelling, slightly labyrinthian but always grounded in reality. Mann's photography is really excellent, with some great aerial views of NYC that highlight its urban sprawl. It's hard to see anybody disliking this as a fan of film noir.