Where Danger Lives

Move along, folks. Nothing (new) to see here. A completely average noir.

I think there was a lot of potential here, but the execution is off. The dramatic irony relieves the movie of tension, and there are many plot devices that are just, well... stupid. Mitchum is as cool as ever though, but I wish Claude Rains would've had more screen time.

Where Danger Lives is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of quality. On the one hand, the main plot strand is compelling and always holds your attention, but on the other hand, the movie gets off-track with silly interruptions that are meant to advance the plot but only cause the viewer to roll his eyes. It also suffers from the fact that the viewer is always one step ahead of the characters. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad here by a fair margin, and if it's not a classic, it's worth a look.

Some sight seeing a dazed Robert Mitchum almost dragged around like a dog by the scheming Faith Domergue. I got into this road trip. Perhaps not many peak moments, but there was suspense and even some humor while running from the cops.

Farrow movies consistently get propped up by great actors he gets to work with.

Trágico Destino estreava há 70 anos em Connecticut. Eu tenho problemas com filmes que forçam demais demais a burrice dos personagens, ainda mais se for o Robert Mitchum a pessoa em questão, o primeiro terço do filme é bem bom, mas toda a fuga é um tanto quanto descarrilhada justamente por a gente não acreditar num Mitchum tão bobo assim. Box Versátil Filme Noir Volume 8.

I really enjoyed this one! Totally unpredictable and different film noir.

Mitchum is cast against type, but Faith Domergue is equally if not more accountable for the lack of artifice in Mitchum's performance than he is. From moment to moment, she genuinely affects him. The sultry, manic, hard-bitten, shifty-eyed edge is real. What's more, Claude Rains as always is superb, in a small role but a pretty important one. And the movie's pleasingly bizarre screwball streak further sets it apart as a unique entry in the film noir canon.

Narrative wise this film doesn't have much going for it beyond a good intro, great turning point and fine ending, the in between is all treading water. What makes up for it is two great performances and the cinematography. Mitchum is surprisingly subdued and does a really good job, but this is Faith Domergue's show from start to finish. She lights up the screen and manages to pull of building paranoia without ever seeming unsympathetic. Together they make that middle section worth watching.

It's weird to see Mitchum in a dazed stupor for the entire film. It's interesting, too. Faith Domergue is gorgeous and I want to say she's a good femme fatale too. The use of the concussion as a ticking time bomb is an interesting way of moving along the plot. But quirks like that or Whiskers Week do little to make Where Danger Lives more than middling. (By the way, "Mitchum! Action!"? Best tagline ever).

Another middling noir by John Farrow. The casting is good... Domergue is intriguing as an unusual femme fatale, Mitchum is always and there's a fantastic brief appearance by Claude Rains. But the film moves in fits and starts. The first act does the requisite set-up work, but after that there's a lot of treading water. It's only in the last 15 minutes that things really start cooking. Those 15 minutes are dynamite, though, with some glorious lighting and long takes.

Starts a bit too precipitously. Mitchum and Rains are both great. Whiskers Week was fun anyway (as was the cat tipping off the body). Sort of played like a cut-rate Detour, but it never really seemed to stay coherent for very long (it also was maybe a bit too short to really develop itself fully). And of course the final confession was pretty obvious from the get-go. By the way, is a concussion really that traumatic...?