Marlowe is a 2022 American mystery crime thriller about a private detective hired to find the missing male lover of a glamorous heiress.
Directed by Neil Jordan based on a screenplay written by William Monahan, based on the novel by John Banville and Raymond Chandler.
The movie stars Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian Hart, Colm Meaney, Danny Huston and Alan Cumming.
Plot synopsis:
The 1930s, Los Angeles: Street-wise, down-on-his-luck private detective Philip Marlowe (Liam Neeson) is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress (Diane Kruger), daughter of a well-known movie star (Jessica Lange). The disappearance unearths a web of lies, and soon Marlowe is involved in a dangerous, deadly investigation where everyone involved has something to hide…
Reviews:
“The ingredients are here for a great noir. Marlowe just fails to assemble them as well as it could have. Strong performances and a sleek look make the movie reasonably watchable. At the same time, though, you can’t help noticing how much it pales in comparison to the pictures it so desperately wants to emulate.” 2.5 out of 4 stars, The Aisle Seat
“Showing off slightly we find a Liam Neeson in a role in which he does not go further —because he always does the same— and some Diane Kruger and Jessica LangeThey don’t shine at all either—and what a waste. Categorically opposed to the conception I had of it, it results in a film made only to fill shop windows.” 1.5 out of 5, Cintilatio [translated from Spanish]
“Ultimately, the best part of Marlowe and the only thing that makes it work is Neeson’s performance as the titular detective. An arguably different performance than his countless previous action offerings, he fit as the grizzled and understated detective because that may be all he can do at this point. However, Neeson still does it well as his gravitas and presence seals it.” 67% Keith Loves Movies
“Marlowe is an atmospheric genre contribution with good approaches, which allows something new, but ultimately cannot bring any really convincing changes to light.” Kino-Zeit [translated from German]
“The screenplay doesn’t bring enough freshness, and the plot, which is classic and almost too complicated and tricky, isn’t sneaky enough either. A few whimsical sayings spice up the film, modern approaches such as the omission of the punishment of some characters set the film apart from the “typical film noir”. Ultimately, however, he brings nothing moving to light.” 3 out of 6, Out Now
“Neil Jordan’s Marlowe is an homage so riddled with noir clichés that one may initially take it for a genre parody, except that the jokes never arrive. Think Carl Reiner’s Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid played straight and you’re closer to Marlowe than you should be […] Neeson isn’t bad in the role, but he remains aloof from the proceedings as a canny veteran’s way of surviving a turkey. Neeson gives so little to Marlowe that it’s risible when other characters have to opine on the character’s nature.” Slant
“Jordan and Monahan are keen on the kind of dialogue that wouldn’t have got past the Hays Code in film noir’s heyday, yet its preponderance of four-letter words and franker allusions leaves Marlowe feeling more artificial than edgy, a permissive cosplay exercise rather than a fresh genre intervention […] Jordan’s film is both resolutely conservative in its period framing and irksomely postmodern in its audience pandering…” Variety
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Release:
In the US, Marlowe will be released by Open Road theatrically in select locations on February 15, 2023.
Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Dublin, Ireland
Filming dates:
November 4, 2021, to December 3, 2021.
