Twilight (1998)

An All-Star Cast, a Good Story

I was in the mood for an old-school style murder/detective flick, and plugged this one in. 60 seconds into the film I get hit with a MAJOR "double" topless scene starring Reese Witherspoon (10 years younger). Gratuitous? Anyway, after re-gathering and re-trenching from that, I did indeed settle down into a Humphrey Bogartesque murder mystery.

Maybe the most significant mark of this film is the very heavy-duty cast . . . Paul Newman (aged like fine wine), Gene Hackman (the BEST), Susan Sarandon (hate her politics but enjoy her work, and again, a gratuitous look at her backside), James Garner (fortunately, no skin shots here), Reese Witherspoon (all of her), Stockard Channing (I don't care for her, personally, but she is a NAME).

A good whodunnit tale. Fading starlets, ex-cop private eyes, slithering opportunists, the always pleasant L.A. vista as seen from Mulholland Drive. Enjoy. Adults only please (nudity, language, shooting/beating violence). July 6, 2008

Solid performances by top actors

This film features fine performances from screen legend Paul Newman, up and comer Reese Witherspoon, and more. This is a better film than the reviews it typically gets from most professional reviewers. Well worth watching, especially if you like the Paul Newman performance in Nobody's Fool. June 10, 2008

Terrific cast. That's all.

There is a terrific cast here, and their acting is as good as usual. The story is good enough to keep you interested, but not really any better than a typical episode of some old detective show like the Rockford Files or Hart to Hart. It's not really about solving the crime from clues, but just Newman getting involved in murders and beat up, and I figured out who the real bad guy was right away. But if you're a fan of Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon, Stockard Channing, or James Garner, you'll get to see good acting by all of them. And even if you're not, you'll get to see both Sarandon and Reese Witherspoon naked in the same movie. September 9, 2007

Old pros doing what they do best

"Twilight" is an underrated gem, a modern classic that too few people have heard of and fewer seem to have seen. I usually get blank stares when I recommend it, but hear the movie's praises once people have watched it. If you're a fan of film noir, private eyes, mysteries or the trio of lead actors (Paul Newman, Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon), "Twilight" should definitely take a spin in your DVD player.

It's the best "modern-day" film noir I've seen, and it proudly wears its noir origins on its sleeve. Whether it's Harry Ross' voice-over narration ("The door was unlocked, so I let myself in..." as he breaks the glass panel), or the cast itself (Newman played a variation of Lew Archer in two films, and James Garner played Rockford, as well as Philip Marlowe). The Amazon.com reviewer is right on the money. "Twilight" could have come out of 1940s or 1950s Hollywood.

And that's another ace up its sleeve. The plot is rich, but its themes are very simple. Love, jealousy, betrayal...murder. Such a tale could have been spun by Chandler, Hammett or MacDonald, and it's refreshing in an era of thrillers that love nothing more than to chuck out the plot of the movie in favor of a "gotcha!" twist ending. "Twilight" builds to its devastating climax, with each step taking us closer to the end, and bringing that ending into focus.

It's a relatively action-lite movie, with a pair of gunfights (and even they aren't all that intense). But the mystery is the draw here...if you want shoot-outs, look elsewhere. Besides, they would only distract from the meat of the movie: the acting and the crackling dialogue. Newman is surrounded by a top-notch cast, and virtually every cast member gets a chance to verbally spar with Harry Ross. Whether it's the dangerously flirtatious midnight conversations with Susan Sarandon, or the wry musings on aging and the past with James Garner and Gene Hackman, everyone shines. Characters who only make a brief appearance (Giancarlo Esposito, the late John Spencer, a young Liev Schrieber) make strong impressions on the viewer, the perfect marriage of a strong script and talented actors.

I'll avoid a plot summary, because I think it's better to go in and watch the mystery unfold around you, but I will say that the story doesn't cheat with you. The characters are real, tangibly real, and it makes what happens to them resonate with the audience. I'd suggest a rental, but with the cheap price on Amazon (and the fact that you'll want to see it again) I recommend a purchase of "Twilight." April 19, 2007

Nostalgic, melancholy mystery saved by good performances

Retired policeman, former P.I., and recovering drunk Harry Ross (Paul Newman), lives above the garage on the sequestered Los Angeles estate of his one-time employers - movie stars Jack and Catherine Ames (Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon). Jack Ames is gravely ill, and Harry is strongly attracted to Jack's immensely sympathetic wife. But matters take a dark turn when Jack asks Harry to deliver a package. Jack is being blackmailed, and Harry soon discovers that his friends' past may be darker than anyone suspects ... This rather melancholy mystery feels like an exercise in nostalgia. There's nothing wrong with that, per se - and it does suit the mortality theme - but it doesn't exactly make for enthralling viewing. Benton relies on power casting, noirish touches and good old-fashioned sensibilities to make this film exude an aura of class it doesn't quite deserve. The plot is thoroughly predictable, so it's really more a tissue of nostalgic suggestions than good storytelling. Similarly, Elmer Bernstein's languorous score deftly evokes Old Hollywood, but it isn't what the film needs (stirring music is used in the trailer to much better effect). What it lacks in narrative gusto, however, it more than makes up for in performances. Newman and Hackman are always good, and are capably supported by James Garner and Stockard Channing in solid minor roles. But Susan Sarandon is the standout as Jack's elegantly manipulative femme-fatale of a wife. She shows that if someone is ever dumb enough to mount a remake of "Sunset Boulevard", she's a shoo-in for the Norma Desmond part. May 27, 2006

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