A mediocre writer has fallen in love with the wife of his editor. The lovers decide to elope. While still on the train, the man remembers the blameless devotion of his wife. Getting second thoughts and knowing that he is close to his own house, he pulls the emergency cord...
There are many things to like about this thriller : good black-and-white cinematography, good direction, good acting, oodles of atmosphere and a very British sense of "noir". The movie also contains some interesting minor characters. For instance, near the end of the movie the protagonist goes to a hotel, where he talks to the female owner. It's a short scene - the conversation only lasts for some minutes - and yet one gets the impression that there is something subtly wrong with the owner, suggesting some kind of.. well, of what ? Spinsterish repression ? Victorian-era prudishness ? Morbid fear of scandal ? Morbid desire for scandal ? So yes, this is an intriguing personality.
Sadly the movie shoots itself in the foot by a final twist plus ending which invalidates almost everything that went before, meaning that the viewers spent more than an hour of their lives watching something which proves to be irrelevant. It's also a very lazy kind of writing - pretty much the equivalent of a stack of "Get out of jail free" cards.
Three stars may be harsh, but I really do dislike movies which shy away from their own premise, cheat the audience and/or can't be bothered to put in a full day's work.
There are many things to like about this thriller : good black-and-white cinematography, good direction, good acting, oodles of atmosphere and a very British sense of "noir". The movie also contains some interesting minor characters. For instance, near the end of the movie the protagonist goes to a hotel, where he talks to the female owner. It's a short scene - the conversation only lasts for some minutes - and yet one gets the impression that there is something subtly wrong with the owner, suggesting some kind of.. well, of what ? Spinsterish repression ? Victorian-era prudishness ? Morbid fear of scandal ? Morbid desire for scandal ? So yes, this is an intriguing personality.
Sadly the movie shoots itself in the foot by a final twist plus ending which invalidates almost everything that went before, meaning that the viewers spent more than an hour of their lives watching something which proves to be irrelevant. It's also a very lazy kind of writing - pretty much the equivalent of a stack of "Get out of jail free" cards.
Three stars may be harsh, but I really do dislike movies which shy away from their own premise, cheat the audience and/or can't be bothered to put in a full day's work.