journey into noir
Join me in exploring the world of noir--movies whose characters are as grey as the shadows with which they're filmed.
I like my Scotch neat, my fashions retro, and my noir dark, drawing me into a world that follows its own dreamy logic. The movies should have a flawed hero whose integrity will be tested & found wanting, a beautiful dame with a secret, an intriguing plot with a MacGuffin or two, a gritty urban landscape that itself becomes a character--plus actors and a director who know what depth & ambiguity are.
This list includes my personal ratings & pocket-size reviews. Come with me for a walk on the noir side.
I like my Scotch neat, my fashions retro, and my noir dark, drawing me into a world that follows its own dreamy logic. The movies should have a flawed hero whose integrity will be tested & found wanting, a beautiful dame with a secret, an intriguing plot with a MacGuffin or two, a gritty urban landscape that itself becomes a character--plus actors and a director who know what depth & ambiguity are.
This list includes my personal ratings & pocket-size reviews. Come with me for a walk on the noir side.
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- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnny OndraJohn LongdenSara AllgoodAfter killing a man in self-defense, a young woman is blackmailed by a witness to the killing.7.5/10
I call this early-sound classic a proto-noir for its themes, its ambiguous characters, its high expressionistic style. (It also includes one of my favourite Hitchcock cameos.)
Hitchcock filmed in Germany in the mid-1920s, with the opportunity to observe FW Murnau directing first-hand. Many of Hitch's later films (The 39 Steps, Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt, Strangers on a Train, Stage Fright, Vertigo, Psycho), though not true noirs, made fantastic use of what he learned there to create a cinematic style that was both influential & highly personal. - DirectorFritz LangStarsPeter LorreEllen WidmannInge LandgutWhen the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.9/10
One of the great films, however you classify it. - DirectorWilliam WylerStarsBette DavisHerbert MarshallJames StephensonThe wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense, but a letter written in her own hand may prove her undoing.8/10
Unforgettable performances from Bette Davis & James Stephenson, plus an intriguing story atmospherically filmed. The settings--especially the rubber plantation--are extremely effective. - DirectorBoris IngsterStarsPeter LorreJohn McGuireMargaret TallichetAn aspiring reporter is the key witness at the murder trial of a young man accused of cutting a café owner's throat and is soon accused of a similar crime himself.6.5/10
An early true noir, complete with voiceovers, flashbacks, grubby settings, & lotsa diagonal shadows. There's a wildly lighted dream sequence that resembles a 1950s production number choreographed by Gene Kelly. Lorre's face--alternately jovial and ominously blank--is creepier even than that, & we're not surprised when he orders his hamburgers raw.
Cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca later shot several noiresque films at RKO for producer Val Lewton, as well as the noir classic Out Of the Past 1947. - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.10/10
The stuff dreams are made of, with pungent & colloquial dialogue to die for. Compelling cinematography by Arthur (Frankenstein 1931, Casablanca 1942) Edeson.
The same novel had been filmed twice previously, in radically different styles: The Maltese Falcon 1931 and Satan Met a Lady 1936 (which was also shot by Edeson). Watch those to understand the sheer brilliance of the work that made the 1941 version indelible. - DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsRobert TaylorLana TurnerEdward ArnoldThe step-daughter of a district attorney falls in love with a gangster on parole who her father originally imprisoned.6/10
If this weren't listed as noir, I would never have guessed from the film's script & cinematography that it was. I had a tough time taking the story seriously. Van Heflin is very good here, though. - DirectorJacques TourneurStarsDennis O'KeefeMargoJean BrooksA seemingly-tame leopard used for a publicity stunt escapes and kills a young girl, spreading panic throughout a sleepy New Mexico town.7/10
One of Val Lewton's RKO films of the 1940s, this contains many noirish elements. It also contains three of the most disturbing killing sequences you'll ever see on film. - DirectorMark RobsonStarsKim HunterTom ConwayJean BrooksA woman in search of her missing sister uncovers a Satanic cult in New York's Greenwich Village and finds that they could have something to do with her sibling's random disappearance.7.5/10
Another of Val Lewton's shadowy urban dreams. The story doesn't matter nearly as much as the pervasive despair, & the excellent use made of the cityscape. - DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.9/10
Stanwyck & MacMurray are a dynamite package. But it's Edward G. Robinson's performance that sticks with me. The detailing is brilliant too: the ankle bracelet, the furnishings, that balcony overlooking the office workers.
Don't miss the 1973 parody "Double Calamity" from The Carol Burnett Show: [link]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0536657/[/link] - DirectorOtto PremingerRouben MamoulianStarsGene TierneyDana AndrewsClifton WebbA police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.8/10
The mystery isn't all that mysterious. It's the mood, built from lighting, angles, and music, that makes this so great. - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsDick PowellClaire TrevorAnne ShirleyAfter being hired to find an ex-con's former girlfriend, Philip Marlowe is drawn into a deeply complex web of mystery and deceit.6.5/10
The singularly uncompelling Powell plays tough guy Marlowe in a typically Chandleresque farrago of a tale. Not great, but it does have its moments. - DirectorJoseph H. LewisStarsNina FochMay WhittyGeorge MacreadyJulia Ross secures employment through a rather nosy employment agency, with a wealthy widow, Mrs. Hughes, and goes to live at her house. 2 days later, she awakens - in a different house, in different clothes and with a new identity. She's told she is the daughter-in-law of Mrs. Hughes and has suffered a nervous breakdown. Is Julia really 'Julia', or is it true that she's lost all memory of who she is?7/10
A most unusual noir, where the main character is female, the setting not urban or USA. - DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettRaymond MasseyWhen a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.8.5/10
Stylish, subtle & intense noir with a controversial finale, that keeps its focus on characterization--most importantly, how Robinson's character views himself. Robinson & Bennett are excellent in an exciting yet oh-so-psychologically-plausible tale. Beautifully filmed by Milton Krasner & not to be missed. - DirectorEdgar G. UlmerStarsTom NealAnn SavageClaudia DrakeThe life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.7.5/10
Engrossing, surreal--and utterly unique, with distinctive direction from Edgar (The Black Cat 1934) Ulmer. Savage is a wildcat, the most evil femme fatale ever. Don't miss this one. - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsDick PowellWalter SlezakMicheline CheirelCanadian flyer Laurence Gerard finds that his wife has been murdered by a French collaborator. His quest for justice leads him to Switzerland and Argentina.7/10
Noir with a dollop of espionage--it's quite exciting, with an adult attitude that still feels modern. The story takes one or two too many loops, but it's fast-paced & full of tension. Slezak is the stand-out in a good cast. - DirectorCurtis BernhardtStarsHumphrey BogartAlexis SmithSydney GreenstreetAn engineer trapped in an unhappy marriage murders his wife in the hope of marrying her younger sister.6.5/10
Not one of Bogie's best; the plotting is not very complex, & there's no chemistry between him & Alexis Smith (who barely registered on me). However, it has some good moments, with nice atmosphere courtesy of foggy mountain roads and recurring symbols.
Hitchcock-related spoiler: Vertigo's McKittrick Hotel sequence almost certainly was borrowed from Conflict. Conflict itself owes an obvious debt to Gaslight 1940 (aka Angel Street) & Gaslight 1944. - DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettDan DuryeaA man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, though her fiancé persuades her to con him out of the fortune they mistakenly assume he possesses.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallJohn RidgelyPrivate detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail and what might be love.7.5/10
One of the most ridiculous plots ever to grace the screen, turned into art by Hawks's direction and some sizzling performances. - DirectorTay GarnettStarsLana TurnerJohn GarfieldCecil KellawayA married woman and a drifter fall in love and then plot to murder her husband.7.5/10
The setting--so banal, so sinister--& cinematography sell this one for me. Overall the cast is strong; Hume Cronyn as the tricky defense attorney & Jeff York as a motorcycle cop with a cat fixation are particularly memorable.
Having said that, I admit this classic has its problems. Turner looks too wonderful, though usually in a suitably trashy way; both Garfield & Kellaway act her into a corner. The blackmail sequence is over the top & could easily have been cut. Worse still, the dialogue in the final scene is all but unactable.
Nonetheless, this is a movie that you must see. It's easy to understand why Postman was the top moneymaker of all the noirs. - DirectorGeorge MarshallStarsAlan LaddVeronica LakeWilliam BendixAn ex-bomber pilot is suspected of murdering his unfaithful wife.6/10
Solid performances, but the plot requires a boatload of cringe-worthy coincidences to function. - DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesEdward G. RobinsonLoretta YoungAn investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi.7/10
The small town atmosphere is well-captured & contrasts in a satisfyingly sinister way with the moody cinematography. Yes, the plot is both simple & absurd, Welles chews quite a lot of scenery & Young's character is embarassingly unconvincing, but this is still a noir that kept me entertained all the way through.
It's also very Hitchcockian. There are moments when the film feels too much like Shadow of a Doubt 1943, with a climax reminiscent of both Blackmail 1929 & Saboteur 1942. - DirectorCharles VidorStarsRita HayworthGlenn FordGeorge MacreadyA small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino discovers his employer's new wife is his former lover.6.5/10
Too much Gilda, not enough crime. Hayworth is a knockout; Ford is adequate in a thankless role. The cinematography (by Rudolph Maté) is very atmospheric--although the film as a whole lacks any real Argentinean flavour. - DirectorEdwin L. MarinStarsGeorge RaftLynn BariVirginia HustonIn 1940s Los Angeles, when womanizing composer Keith Vincent is found dead, the inquest concludes it was a suicide but police detective Joe Warne isn't so sure.6/10
This script deserved a far better cast. The cinematography is excellent, especially the opening trick shot that appears to zoom from an aerial view of LA through a window & straight into a living room, where a pianist is playing. (To do this for real was impossible until the introduction of the Steadicam in the 1970s. Hitchcock wanted to do a similar shot for the opening of Psycho 1960; he & his long-time associate Joan Harrison--who produced Nocturne-- had long memories.) The biggest problem is Raft, for whom the word "wooden" is insufficient to convey how stilted & shallow his acting is here. - DirectorHarold ClurmanWilliam Cameron MenziesStarsSusan HaywardPaul LukasBill WilliamsAfter a woman he meets is murdered, a soon-to-ship-out sailor has until dawn to find the killer, aided by a weary dance hall girl.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsRobert MitchumJane GreerKirk DouglasA private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.8/10
Really strong performances & excellent cinematography, compromised by a screenplay that bumps off too many characters. Essential viewing for noir fans. - DirectorIrving PichelStarsRobert YoungSusan HaywardJane GreerOn trial for murdering his girlfriend, philandering stockbroker Larry Ballentine takes the stand to claim his innocence and describe the actual, but improbable-sounding, sequence of events that led to her death.7.5/10
I liked this immensely: Excellent actors in a strong story that builds slowly from the ordinary to the fantastical--and I didn't guess the startling finale. - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsRobert YoungRobert MitchumRobert RyanA man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of demobilized soldiers he met in a bar. But which one? And why?7/10
I like a noir that challenges its audience to confront their own prejudices & decisions in life. - DirectorDelmer DavesStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallBruce BennettA man convicted of murdering his wife escapes from prison and works with a woman to try to prove his innocence.6.5/10
Utterly implausible from start to finish. A good POV camera, location shots in San Francisco, & swell sets make up for a lot, though. And who can resist Bogie & Bacall? - DirectorCurtis BernhardtStarsRobert TaylorAudrey TotterHerbert MarshallAfter a brain-damaged man confesses to murder and is committed, Dr. Ann Lorrison tries to prove his innocence.6.5/10
A weak mystery, some pacing problems, plus a stunningly naive belief in 1940s-style psychiatry (sodium pentothal, anyone?)--yet I enjoyed this one, if only because Herbert Marshall is always a treat. Nice if not outstanding cinematography. - DirectorHenry HathawayStarsVictor MatureBrian DonlevyColeen GrayA crook arrested for a jewelry heist initially refuses to give up his accomplices, but he changes his mind once his wife dies under worrying circumstances.6/10
This one struck me as too extreme in many ways--too sentimental on the one hand (those adorable children rollerskating), too brutal on the other (the famous staircase scene). - DirectorRobert MontgomeryStarsRobert MontgomeryAudrey TotterLloyd NolanThe lady editor of a crime magazine hires Phillip Marlowe to find the wife of her boss. The private detective soon finds himself involved in murder.5/10
Gimmicky POV camera should make this feel fresh & modern--it doesn't; what we get instead is some of the most stilted dialogue reading I've ever endured. It doesn't help that Montgomery is an utterly charmless Marlowe. I hated the over-the-top a cappella chorale score. And, just like the novel, the plot twist can be seen coming from several miles away.
Skip this & rewatch The Big Sleep. - DirectorAnatole LitvakStarsBarbara StanwyckBurt LancasterAnn RichardsWhile on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it.7.5/10
Stanwyck in a bravura performance.
Here's a link to the Internet Archive's Suspense radio version starring Agnes Moorehead (#31 on the list): [link]http://archive.org/details/SUSPENSE[/link] - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartEdward G. RobinsonLauren BacallA man visits his war buddy's family hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.7.5/10
Fantastic cast in a memorable melodrama. Claire Trevor breaks my heart here. - DirectorCarol ReedStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenAlida ValliPulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.9/10
In a class by itself.
Cartoon tribute: [link]http://stripgenerator.com/strip/287759/philosophy-101-third-man/#main[/link] - DirectorTed TetzlaffStarsBobby DriscollBarbara HaleArthur KennedyTo avoid the heat of a sweltering summer night a 9-year-old Manhattan boy decides to sleep on the fire escape and witnesses a murder, but no one will believe him.7/10
Very well-made B movie that evokes the claustrophobia & griminess of the city as it really is. The script & acting are merely serviceable--the suspense of the final 30 minutes is something far more special.
It's interesting to compare this movie, adapted from the 1947 short story "The Boy Cried Murder" by Cornell Woolrich, with Rear Window, which was adapted from a 1942 Woolrich story, "It Had To Be Murder." - DirectorArthur LubinStarsBrian DonlevyElla RainesCharles CoburnA unfaithful wife plots with her lover to kill her husband, but the lover is accidentally killed instead. The husband stays in hiding and lets his wife be charged with conspiracy.6.5/10
Missing some noir elements--the cinematography is notably bland, for instance--but with a wonderful femme fatale. - DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenGloria SwansonErich von StroheimA screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.9/10
Is it noir or is it horror? Or perhaps black comedy? Doesn't matter--this is one for the ages. - DirectorJohn HustonStarsSterling HaydenLouis CalhernJean HagenA major heist goes off as planned, but then double crosses, bad luck and solid police work cause everything to unravel.8/10
Extremely grim, with one of the cruelest fade-outs ever. I didn't much care about the story; it was the acting & rich characterization that overwhelmed me. - DirectorJoseph H. LewisStarsJohn DallPeggy CumminsBerry KroegerTwo disturbed young people release their fascination with guns through a crime spree.7.5/10
Truly suspenseful, with an explosive performance from Cummins. The finale is haunting. - DirectorRudolph MatéStarsEdmond O'BrienPamela BrittonLuther AdlerFrank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why.7.5/10
Moody & exciting (and absurdly convoluted). - DirectorJohn CromwellStarsEleanor ParkerAgnes MooreheadEllen CorbyA gentle, naive, pregnant 19-year-old widow is slowly, inexorably ground down by the hardened criminals, sadistic guards, and matron at a woman's prison. Will she be the same person when her sentence is up?7.5/10
Impressive performances all around, especially Parker & Moorehead. From script to lighting, it's unrelentingly grim, but distinctive & real. - DirectorOtto PremingerStarsDana AndrewsGene TierneyGary MerrillDet. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. Will Dixon's vicious nature get the better of him?7/10
One of my favourites, though Tierney's character isn't very interesting. Has some convincingly realistic street scenes & a believable plot. - DirectorNorman FosterStarsAnn SheridanDennis O'KeefeRobert KeithFrank Johnson becomes an eyewitness to a murder. He's pursued around San Francisco by his wife, the police, and the killer.I'd never much liked Ann Sheridan--until I saw this film.
- DirectorIrving PichelStarsMickey RooneyJeanne CagneyBarbara BatesAfter taking 20 dollars from his employer to go on a date with plans to repay it the next day, an auto mechanic falls into increasingly disastrous circumstances for more and more money which rapidly spirals out of his control.6/10
Andy Hardy--er, Rooney--gets into trouble with the dubious help of a dame. Not bad, really, but also not truly noir with that feel-good finale. Some nice use of Santa Monica locations helps. - DirectorIda LupinoStarsEdmond O'BrienFrank LovejoyWilliam TalmanTwo fishermen pick up a psychopathic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over.7.5/10
Well-acted throughout, closely following a true story about a spree killer who kidnaps two average guys. No phoney heroics or childishly clever dialogue--this is extremely believable & suspenseful. - DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsSimone SignoretVéra ClouzotPaul MeurisseThe wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.9/10
I don't care if it is French-made & has a few supernatural touches. This is noir as it was meant to be--sordid settings, convoluted plot, complex characters with twisted psyches. - DirectorJacques TourneurStarsAldo RayAnne BancroftBrian KeithThrough a series of bizarre coincidences, an artist finds himself falsely accused of bank robbery and murder and is pursued by the authorities and the real killers.7/10
Strikingly filmed, solid story, well-paced. The only flaw is that the characters aren't especially appealing. - DirectorPaul WendkosStarsDan DuryeaJayne MansfieldMartha VickersDan Duryea and his cronies rob a fake spiritualist and then take it on the lam to Atlantic City.6.5/10
Excessively stylized, which continually distracted me--as did the shifts in tone; it starts as almost comic, moves to caper, and then into one of those balletic, fatalistic finales. I did like the Atlantic City settings. - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.9/10
I see this as the ultimate Hitchcock noir (despite the colour cinematography). Human frailty, a man crushed by his own illusions, the fatal blonde. And the despair, as insinuatingly omnipresent as San Francisco fog.
Watch closely for the sequences deliberately lifted from The Wizard Of Oz 1939 & Conflict 1945--they're important clues. - DirectorSeth HoltBasil DeardenStarsGeorge NaderMaggie SmithBernard LeeIn London, a Canadian serving prison time for grand theft escapes prison and attempts to retrieve his loot, kept in a bank safety deposit box, but his accomplice takes the security key while he only has the pass code.7.5/10
Packs an awful lot of perfidy into 97 minutes--it's almost a black comedy of errors, evoked as one of those frustrating dreams where everything possible goes wrong. Yummy cinematography + a young & very lovely Maggie Smith. - DirectorOrson WellesStarsCharlton HestonOrson WellesJanet LeighA stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town.7/10
Opens with a spectacularly choreographed crane shot that is justifiably famous. But all the cinematographic legerdemain in the world can't rescue a plot whose twists make no psychological sense, nor characters who reach the edge of buffoonery and beyond. Miss Leigh shows off some very pretty lingerie, however. - DirectorOtto PremingerStarsJames StewartLee RemickBen GazzaraAn upstate Michigan lawyer defends a soldier who claims he killed an innkeeper due to temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. What is the truth, and will he win his case?7.5/10
Not a personal favourite of mine, but undeniably memorable. This isn't usually classified as noir, but I'd be happy to argue about that. - DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack NicholsonFaye DunawayJohn HustonA private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.8/10
I can never decide if this one is neo-noir or parody. - DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsWilliam HurtKathleen TurnerRichard CrennaDuring an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband.7.5/10
Sexy & compelling, despite the overly complicated plotline. - DirectorMike NewellStarsMiranda RichardsonRupert EverettIan HolmA stormy relationship, complicated by the strictures of 1950s social class and gender roles, ends in death. Based on the life of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain.8/10
Intensely seamy, steamy evocation of the 1950s, it takes us convincingly into a noir story that just happens to be true. Powerful performances from the three stars. - DirectorMichael RadfordStarsSarah MilesJoss AcklandJohn HurtIn 1940s Kenya, a married couple join other affluent British expatriates in a lifestyle of recklessness and excess, but soon find themselves in a troubling situation.7/10
Perverse neo-noir, set in an exotic world filled with bizarre characters & with a true-life noir murder mystery at its core. The music score is wonderful. - DirectorCurtis HansonStarsKevin SpaceyRussell CroweGuy PearceAs corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.7.5/10
A little too slick, but fun in a warped kind of way. - StarsDouglas HodgeJeremy NorthamRachel JoyceAfter Adam inherits a country house from his great uncle, he and his friend Rufus decide to spend the summer there instead of abroad. An odd assortment of 'house guests' turns up through different means and it's an uneasy mix at best. A decade afterwards, the bodies of a young woman and an infant are discovered in the woods behind the house. As the police investigate, they naturally look to Adam as former owner of the house, and what happened all those years before starts to catch up with him.8/10
A Ruth Rendell tale, made for TV with a distinctly noirish attitude. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBob HoskinsChristopher LloydJoanna CassidyWhen a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.8/10
Gleeful homage to what made noir great. - DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsFred AstaireCyd CharisseOscar LevantA pretentiously artistic director is hired for a new Broadway musical and changes it beyond recognition.6.5/10
Included for the wonderful send-up of noir conventions, "The Girl-Hunt Ballet," danced with hardboiled humor by Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse. - DirectorAllen BaronStarsAllen BaronMolly McCarthyLarry TuckerA hired killer from Cleveland has a job to do on a second-string mob boss in New York, but a special girl from his past and a gun dealer with pet rats get in his way.