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Netflix noir from down under

August 29, 2010 by Dave Knadler

This belongs in your queue.

Fred MacMurray, of all people, summed up film noir best with this classic line in Double Indemnity in 1944:

“Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money and for a woman. I didn’t get the money and I didn’t get the woman. Pretty, isn’t it?”

If you like film noir, you know that this is the essence of if: sex, greed and murder. But I’m occasionally amazed at how certain filmmakers are  able to adhere precisely to these conventions and still come up with a tense, absorbing story. Case in point: The Square, a Australian neo-noir from 2008. The film opens with a married business man and his mistress having sex in her car. Things go quickly downhill from there. Along the way we have a bag of money — there’s always a bag of money — a wandering dog, a number of errant conclusions and a few unfortunate deaths. To be more specific would spoil the movie. But it’s the best neo-noir I’ve seen in awhile, and probably better than any of the last 10 Netflix movies I’ve rented. Dave Bob says check it out.

More along these lines:

  • Something’s rotten in Denmark
  • Remake ‘Wizard of Oz’? Fine with me
  • It’s not so much about the movies
  • annette bening and julianne moore“The Kids” ain’t quite all right
  • In praise of Charles Portis

Filed Under: Movies

About Dave Knadler

Obscure writer. Lazy photographer. Bashful guitarist. Perhaps too fond of wine. Tireless nemesis of New York Times crosswords.

Comments

  1. John H. says

    August 29, 2010 at 10:37 pm

    “Dave Bob” – nice!

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