It's a welcome change of pace to see a movie in which the protagonist is not just a skeptic (or at least, a paranormal agnostic, if you will) but a person who actively seeks to take down flimflam artists; early dialogue emphatically hammers home the difference between performers and so-called mediums or psychics, and the harm they represent. Would that more films were so smart, and it's a little cheeky to see such a picture from director Tod Browning, whose extraordinary career often delved into the fantastical, or at least readily invited a small sense of it even in his straight dramas. And so it is here in a tale of murder, a mystery to be solved, and characters who in one way or another live on the edges of reality, pretense, and fraud. On the other hand, the pacing is unfortunately rather too brisk for its own good, rendering plot development likewise brusque; early scenes are almost altogether overwhelming, and that feeling doesn't particularly go away. If anything, it might actually get worse, as though Browning or producer J. J. Cohn were actively trying to smash the feature through a grinder. This tack subsequently impacts the acting, direction, and cinematography, and places considerable restraints on the storytelling at large; editor Fredrick Y. Smith was putting in overtime just to keep up. The viewer is made to actively work to be engaged with the material, or risk being totally lost should our attention wander for but a moment. Whatever else is true of 'Miracles for sale,' it really needed to slow down, take a breath, and let its plot speak for itself.
Such heedlessly swift stifling of the adapted screenplay is unfortunate, as it dulls sharp dialogue, chops up solid scene writing, reduces characters to a shade of themselves, and dampens the value of the plot like a crisp new monetary note dipped in a murky swamp. In fact, the plot gets lost a little bit in the dust that's kicked up as the film runs full-tilt toward the horizon. A lot of performances feel forced as a result; some feel amorphous and hazy, whether by deliberate poor choice or as a result of struggling under the rapidity of the proceedings. I can at least commend the contributions of those behind the scenes, for the crew put in good work. The sets and their decoration are swell, and the costume design, hair, and makeup are fetching. While rather caught up in the whirlwind of the pacing, editor Smith and cinematographer Charles Lawton Jr. Were skilled capable in their own right; Browning's direction is technically impeccable. Those effects that are employed are done quite well, and some are rather clever, just as there are some particularly great ideas in the screenplay. Would, however, that the best value of 'Miracles for sale' didn't have to work so hard to compensate for the unbridled gallop with which the title proceeds from the first to the last; so much energy is necessary directed toward attaining that balance that there's far less left to actively, meaningfully entice the audience.
I claim no familiarity with author Clayton Rawson's novel, but if the screenplay is any indication then it's a book I'd enjoy reading. It's regrettable that this adaptation maintains such an unnaturally fast gait, as what would otherwise be a definitively enjoyable, engrossing feature is only half the viewing experience it should have been. As if to emphasize the point, when within the last three minutes the entirety of the murder mystery is explained in a flurry of dialogue, it passes so quickly that it almost does a vanishing act all its own, and suddenly the movie is over. I'm not sure I could even relate the details of the story in full for as recklessly as it charges forward. (Please also note a passing line that has decidedly not aged well, "We New Yorkers have the best police force in the world.") For what is done well and the good ideas that are present I've love to say that I like this more than I do; for as tawdry as the whole is made to be on account of rushing through every single moment, I wonder if I'm not being too generous. 'Miracles for sale' is a decent film; the problem is, it should have been an outright good one. Oh well.
Such heedlessly swift stifling of the adapted screenplay is unfortunate, as it dulls sharp dialogue, chops up solid scene writing, reduces characters to a shade of themselves, and dampens the value of the plot like a crisp new monetary note dipped in a murky swamp. In fact, the plot gets lost a little bit in the dust that's kicked up as the film runs full-tilt toward the horizon. A lot of performances feel forced as a result; some feel amorphous and hazy, whether by deliberate poor choice or as a result of struggling under the rapidity of the proceedings. I can at least commend the contributions of those behind the scenes, for the crew put in good work. The sets and their decoration are swell, and the costume design, hair, and makeup are fetching. While rather caught up in the whirlwind of the pacing, editor Smith and cinematographer Charles Lawton Jr. Were skilled capable in their own right; Browning's direction is technically impeccable. Those effects that are employed are done quite well, and some are rather clever, just as there are some particularly great ideas in the screenplay. Would, however, that the best value of 'Miracles for sale' didn't have to work so hard to compensate for the unbridled gallop with which the title proceeds from the first to the last; so much energy is necessary directed toward attaining that balance that there's far less left to actively, meaningfully entice the audience.
I claim no familiarity with author Clayton Rawson's novel, but if the screenplay is any indication then it's a book I'd enjoy reading. It's regrettable that this adaptation maintains such an unnaturally fast gait, as what would otherwise be a definitively enjoyable, engrossing feature is only half the viewing experience it should have been. As if to emphasize the point, when within the last three minutes the entirety of the murder mystery is explained in a flurry of dialogue, it passes so quickly that it almost does a vanishing act all its own, and suddenly the movie is over. I'm not sure I could even relate the details of the story in full for as recklessly as it charges forward. (Please also note a passing line that has decidedly not aged well, "We New Yorkers have the best police force in the world.") For what is done well and the good ideas that are present I've love to say that I like this more than I do; for as tawdry as the whole is made to be on account of rushing through every single moment, I wonder if I'm not being too generous. 'Miracles for sale' is a decent film; the problem is, it should have been an outright good one. Oh well.