T-Men

Very enjoyable. The "we'll tell you what happened... here are the facts" approach of this procedural noir works. Together with 'Donnie Brasco' this is probably my favorite movie about going undercover. It features some wonderfully tense moments, well directed by Mann, and it's superbly photographed by Alton; a prime example of chiaroscuro lighting. Maybe I'm imagining this but some of the shots in the scenes by the docks reminded me a lot of the ones in 'The Usual Suspects'.

The narration is pretty hokey, although it does provide a few great lines. The actors are all good, but none stand out except maybe Wallace. The plot is old hat, but moves at a good clip and builds tension nicely. The real star is cinematographer John Alton. This is practically a textbook example of noir photography, with some really stunning shots, perfect compositions and beautiful high-contrast lighting. Worth seeing for the visual aspects alone, but even without that it's a fine movie.

An excellent B movie. Anthony Mann creates great noir atmosphere in this cheapie. Features a fine performance by veteran character actor Wallace Ford.

Nor bad for a piece of institutional propaganda endorsed by the U.S. Treasury Department. The semi-documentarian style is well integrated and the acting is surprisingly apt for a square noir. Would have almost wanted this to be longer, as the narration of the infiltration story worked but advanced too mechanically which gave it a rushed and uninspiring feel.

Moeda Falsa estreava há 75 anos em Los Angeles. Como era de se esperar em um filme dirigido pelo Mann e fotografado pelo Alton a mise en scène é deslumbrante, mas aquela narração em off e a lambeção de bolas de puliça é demais para meu sendo estético e ético. Box Versátil Filme Noir Volume 10.

After starting-out his career making cutsy musicals Anthony Mann is finally finding his toughness with a hard boiled crime fighter with a documentary touch to it. T-Men (1947) goes undercover to infiltrate a counterfeit ring and Dennis O'Keefe was put to good use here. No glamour to the crime world here. Shot seriously straight. Could possibly have used something to add charm to this otherwise realistic approach, but you can see what Mann was going for and you got to respect that vision.

The opening meant to add realism instead brings a campy feeling that sets the tone for the film.

One of those unfortunate noirs with entirely perfunctory and lame narration. On the bright side, it's a compelling counterfeiting plot that I'm sure influenced To Live and Die in L.A., and John Alton is god.

Expertly made, if low budget, crime thriller with a dark, gritty style and a great cast. An interesting piece of post-war Americana.

Tension rises steadily, and Fords death added some extra weight to the whole mission. Kept me paying attention

Excellent direction by Mann, cinematography by John Alton and editing by Fred Allen, using deep staging and chiaroscuro lighting (the foggy bath scene murder is my favorite) to underline the frantic tension of every scene in this quite realistic and gritty undercover police procedural. The scene where the wife happens upon his undercover husband 'on the job' (and a few other scenes) is perhaps treated, typical for the period, a bit too melodramatic by the script.

The story is pretty standard crime thriller stuff, with lots of undercover agents and counterfeiting rings being run by shady characters. It has some really silly narration as well, feeling a lot like an episode of "Dragnet" or the like. The cinematography, however, is unique and rather stunning.

It's Anthony Mann and John Alton, so you know it looks amazing. It's just too bad the visual schemes aren't allowed to speak for themselves, constantly squandered away beneath flat narration. I understand that this movie was going for gritty realism, but it ends up feeling controlled and sterile, foregoing any sort of psychological expressionism that makes great film noir.

Great camerawork, but everything else is dull.

The good cinematography creates a very effective atmosphere balancing both the seedy nature of the surroundings and the underlying morality of the cops. The acting is solid and the story very well structured story with a surprising willingness to get a little dark. Unfortunately a lot of this was undermined by the overbearing and useless narration. This is made worse by the bookends framing this as a propaganda piece for the treasury investigative unit. Such a shame.

One of the rare cases in which the cameraman steals the movie. The photography works better than anything else in the film. It's no longer possible to take this movie seriously after the line, "Do you know what it's like to spend ten days in a steam bath looking for a man?"