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Epicurus.com - Devil in a Blue Dress
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List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $9.70
Your Save: $ 5.25 ( 35% )
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Columbia/Tristar 2
Starring: Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, Maury Chaykin
Directed By: Carl Franklin
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 0011575513437
Format: Color
Label: Columbia/Tristar 2
Manufacturer: Columbia/Tristar 2
Publisher: Columbia/Tristar 2
Release Date: 1998-01-06
Studio: Columbia/Tristar 2
Theatrical Release Date: 1995-09-29
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Editorial Reviews:
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Despite rave reviews as one of the most stylish and intelligent detective pictures in a number of years, this 1995 adaptation of Walter Mosley's novel never found a mass audience. Too bad, because Carl Franklin's film is nearly perfect in every way, from its rich, shadowy look to its depiction of life in post-World War II black America (L.A.-style) to the acting of Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and others. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, an aircraft factory worker who is laid off only to find his true calling: as a private eye, albeit an unlicensed one. Hired to find a missing woman, he becomes entangled in a complex but satisfying case involving sex, corruption, racism, and of course money. Top-notch from top to bottom--and Cheadle is dangerously funny as Easy's best friend, a killer named Mouse. --Marshall Fine
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: The devil put me to sleep...
Comment: Despite all the critical praise, `Devil in a Blue Dress' never found an audience, or so says the Amazon review. Honesty, I agree with the audience and not the critics. The main problem I had with `Devil in a Blue Dress' is that it had me on the verge of sleep, and that's never a good thing.
Recently I've been watching quite a few film noirs that just don't seem to get it right. `Devil in a Blue Dress' is one of those films. It tries hard, that's for sure, but in the end it fails to capture anything more than a simple mood, but that mood isn't maintained long enough to hold my interest. That mood actually induced heavy eyes.
The film follows Ezekiel `Easy' Rawlins, an unemployed war-vet in 1948 L.A. With a mortgage and no job with which to pay it, Easy finds himself playing detective for a shady white man who wants to find a young white woman. This particular woman is not all that she seems and soon Easy finds himself in a world of trouble; or at least that's what I think happened. Like I said, I was in and out of consciousness throughout this entire episode. The film borders on meandering and I just couldn't help but doze off here and there.
The acting doesn't really help the matter. Tom Sizemore is uninteresting, but not nearly as uninteresting as Jennifer Beals. Denzel Washington is dreadfully mediocre here. His voice over I think is what did it for me, as far as putting me to sleep. He has a very smooth voice, which is good in general I guess, but when you couple that with poor story development then you have the recipe for disaster. His overall performance is poor as well. This style of film doesn't seem to suit him well. I like Denzel subdued, but subdued in more of a repressed way, where you can see the emotions billowing beneath his surface (ala `Man on Fire') as apposed to subdued in a solemn and lifeless way (ala `American Gangster'). There is no emotion in Washington here and that draws away from the film considerably. I felt like there was no reason for me to care, thus no reason for me to pay attention.
And then there was Don Cheadle. Seriously, where was the Academy here (sleeping I presume)? Cheadle's performance here is hilariously on point and deserves the utmost respect and accolades. As Mouse, Cheadle was able to single-handedly wake me up from my boredom induced stupor and make me pay attention to the last half of the film. In fact, Cheadle was the only reason I didn't turn the film off (at one point I told my wife to just wake me up when Cheadle came back on the screen). How he missed out on an Oscar nomination (the year was a good year and the category was tight) is understandable yet disappointing since his performance is honesty brilliant.
In the end I can't really recommend this film though, which is sad since Cheadle really pulls it out. The overall feeling this film leaves me though is not enough to cause me to recommend it in the least. Carl Franklin's direction is poor and the script he wrote (adapted from Walter Mosley's popular crime novels) does nothing to elevate his film. There just isn't enough of anything to hold this film together; no substance, no importance. There are many other crime noirs out there that actually hit the mark (`L.A. Confidential' for starters) so if you're in the mood for a noir look elsewhere.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Denzil's first film noir
Comment: This film should've been a hit since it was based on a well received novel by Walter Moseby and starred Denzil Washington as "Easy" Rawlins. Unfortunately it didn't get the notices it should have received due to the fact as Denzil stated that blacks do not like to see themselves as victims. Too bad because this film noir had an intricate plot involving a mysterious woman (Jennifer Beals) who's involved in a murder plot which puts Washington's character in peril and possible imprisonment since one of females he was involved in is found murdered. Another plus was Carl Franklin's astute direction plus you also had Don Cheadle in a career breaking performance as Rawlin's psychopathic buddy "Mouse". The audience I saw this with, laughed and were engaged with this flick. If you like a good film noir/detective story and are a Washington fan, do check this out!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: IT'S JUST ME BUT:
Comment: YEAH DENZEL! GREAT MOVIE. JENNIFER BEALS WAS GREAT TOO. INTERESTING MOVIE ABOUT A MAN RETURNING HOME, AND BEING DRAWN INTO THINGS HE WANTS NO PART OF. OF COURSE THE THE BEAUTIFUL LADY IN THE BLUE DRESS IS JENNIFER BEALS.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The NOIR in Film Noir
Comment: Film Noir is French for "black film" is it not?
In the tradition of The Big Sleep, Chinatown, Maltese Falcon, The Long Goodbye......
The first and only (as far as I know) that features a uniquely "Black American" cast and story line.
BEST line in the movie "If you didn't want him dead, you shouldn't have left him with me."
Watch This Movie... Buy this movie. I have 2 copies. Don and Denzel both rock.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Denzel and Don Cheadle
Comment: This is a great movie with excellent performances by Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals and Don Cheadle. Don Cheadle should have received an oscar and/or emmy award for his portrayal of Mouse. He gave a magnificent performance!
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