The Big Sleep (1946)
Director: Howard Hawks
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgley
Synopsis:
Private investigator Philip Marlowe takes on a case to deal with the gambling debts of a rich man's daughter, but when blackmailer winds up murdered, it quickly becomes clear that the plot runs much deeper.
Impressions:
Next to Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Philip Marlowe and this film does a good job of demonstrating why he's good for the role. This really is a smartly written film with good characters and a lot of twists and turns as we dig down to get to the bottom of the case. Some of it might be a little overcomplicated, particularly as there are a few threads that never get neatly resolved, but perhaps there's some merit to that. Besides Bogart as Marlowe, Lauren Bacall really knocks it out of the park as the slightly more responsible daughter of the client. If you like a good mystery, this is definitely the film for you.
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