I watched this movie when it was on TV recently, knowing it was a classic movie. I didn't have any expectations, seeing as I barely knew what it was about - I just figured it would be good.
"The Postman Always Rings Twice" is never boring, but it's too long by half an hour, if not more, and it's hard to believe that Frank and Cora would risk so much for each other when their relationship is based purely on physical attraction. Perhaps Cora, stuck in a loveless marriage, could realistically fall for a handsome man who showed an interest in her - but why does Frank plot murder for the sake of a woman he barely knows? Surely he could continue on his travels and find another, equally sexy woman in a less complicated and dangerous situation? Cora and Frank are devoted to each other because the plot requires them to be, not because they have any sort of plausible emotional connection. I believed they were strongly sexually attracted to each other, but I didn't believe that they were connected on any other level.
Throughout this film, I kept thinking of ways that it could be a better movie. I didn't try to, it just happened. At one point I was convinced that Nick had figured out Cora and Frank's plans and was telling them various things just to see them squirm, but no such luck. The movie drags on and on in the last hour, with Frank and Cora going from one melodramatic plot point to the next without really thinking or reflecting on any of them. I got sick of Frank and Cora. I wanted them to be smarter, to do unexpected things - oh, and I wanted Frank to stop successfully punching out guys who look like they could crush him with one arm tied behind their backs.
The acting is good. Once you accept the plot dragging on and on, the script is fairly decent. Still, I wouldn't recommend this movie except perhaps to hardcore film fans, and I wouldn't watch it again.
A note: There is no postman in this film, and the significance of the title is not revealed until the last scene, where we find out it's a lot more boring than we were expecting.
"The Postman Always Rings Twice" is never boring, but it's too long by half an hour, if not more, and it's hard to believe that Frank and Cora would risk so much for each other when their relationship is based purely on physical attraction. Perhaps Cora, stuck in a loveless marriage, could realistically fall for a handsome man who showed an interest in her - but why does Frank plot murder for the sake of a woman he barely knows? Surely he could continue on his travels and find another, equally sexy woman in a less complicated and dangerous situation? Cora and Frank are devoted to each other because the plot requires them to be, not because they have any sort of plausible emotional connection. I believed they were strongly sexually attracted to each other, but I didn't believe that they were connected on any other level.
Throughout this film, I kept thinking of ways that it could be a better movie. I didn't try to, it just happened. At one point I was convinced that Nick had figured out Cora and Frank's plans and was telling them various things just to see them squirm, but no such luck. The movie drags on and on in the last hour, with Frank and Cora going from one melodramatic plot point to the next without really thinking or reflecting on any of them. I got sick of Frank and Cora. I wanted them to be smarter, to do unexpected things - oh, and I wanted Frank to stop successfully punching out guys who look like they could crush him with one arm tied behind their backs.
The acting is good. Once you accept the plot dragging on and on, the script is fairly decent. Still, I wouldn't recommend this movie except perhaps to hardcore film fans, and I wouldn't watch it again.
A note: There is no postman in this film, and the significance of the title is not revealed until the last scene, where we find out it's a lot more boring than we were expecting.