Amazon.com essential video: Despite rave reviews as one of the most stylish and intelligent detective pictures in a number of years, this 1995 adaptation of Walter Mosley's novel never found a mass audience. Too bad, because Carl Franklin's film is nearly perfect in every way, from its rich, shadowy look to its depiction of life in post-World War II black America (L.A.-style) to the acting of Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and others. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, an aircraft factory worker who is laid off only to find his true calling: as a private eye, albeit an unlicensed one. Hired to find a missing woman, he becomes entangled in a complex but satisfying case involving sex, corruption, racism, and of course money. Top-notch from top to bottom--and Cheadle is dangerously funny as Easy's best friend, a killer named Mouse. --Marshall Fine
Digital Life Reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - The devil put me to sleep...
Despite all the critical praise, `Devil in a Blue Dress' never found an audience, or so says the Amazon review. Honesty, I agree with the audience and not the critics. The main problem I had with `Devil in a Blue Dress' is that it had me on the verge of sleep, and that's never a good thing.
Recently I've been watching quite a few film noirs that just don't seem to get it right. `Devil in a Blue Dress' is one of those films. It tries hard, that's for sure, but in the end it fails to capture anything more than a simple mood, but that mood isn't maintained long enough to hold my interest. That mood actually induced heavy eyes.
The film follows Ezekiel `Easy' Rawlins, an unemployed war-vet in 1948 L.A. With a mortgage and no job with which to pay it, Easy finds himself playing detective for a shady white man who wants to find a young white woman. This particular woman is not all that ... Read More
Rating: - Denzil's first film noir
This film should've been a hit since it was based on a well received novel by Walter Moseby and starred Denzil Washington as "Easy" Rawlins. Unfortunately it didn't get the notices it should have received due to the fact as Denzil stated that blacks do not like to see themselves as victims. Too bad because this film noir had an intricate plot involving a mysterious woman (Jennifer Beals) who's involved in a murder plot which puts Washington's character in peril and possible imprisonment since one of females he was involved in is found murdered. Another plus was Carl Franklin's astute direction plus you also had Don Cheadle in a career breaking performance as Rawlin's psychopathic buddy "Mouse". The audience I saw this with, laughed and were engaged with this flick. If you like a good film noir/detective story and are a Washington fan, do check this out!!
Rating: - IT'S JUST ME BUT:
YEAH DENZEL! GREAT MOVIE. JENNIFER BEALS WAS GREAT TOO. INTERESTING MOVIE ABOUT A MAN RETURNING HOME, AND BEING DRAWN INTO THINGS HE WANTS NO PART OF. OF COURSE THE THE BEAUTIFUL LADY IN THE BLUE DRESS IS JENNIFER BEALS.
Rating: - The NOIR in Film Noir
Film Noir is French for "black film" is it not?
In the tradition of The Big Sleep, Chinatown, Maltese Falcon, The Long Goodbye......
The first and only (as far as I know) that features a uniquely "Black American" cast and story line.
BEST line in the movie "If you didn't want him dead, you shouldn't have left him with me."
Watch This Movie... Buy this movie. I have 2 copies. Don and Denzel both rock.
Digital
Life Shop
Carl Franklin items subject to availability. Some restrictions
may apply. VHS
Devil in a Blue Dress presented by digi2005.com Digi2005.com is
an Amazon.com
Associate
Digital Life Music News:
Sony Ericsson to Roll Out PlayNow Plus Music Service - Mobiledia
Sony Ericsson will launch a mobile phone service with unlimited music downloads within weeks, the company said today, as it competes with Nokia in expanding business beyond the sale of handsets. Sony Ericsson's PlayNow Plus will be available solely ...
more News
- The devil put me to sleep...
- IT'S JUST ME BUT:
