Originally written 4/1/16
A truly fantastic film. The Long Goodbye exists in
its own quirky, loopy world and sucks you right in. It is a shaggy dog
detective story that rambles and wanders through a cast of strange characters,
and we are along for the ride. Elliot Gould is magnificent as the droll,
deadpan Phillip Marlowe. He reminds me of Garfield in his delivery, just so
dryly beleaguered and schlubby. It is difficult not to like him. He is as
affably lost and confused as the viewer, and his "just roll with it"
attitude toward all the film's strange events helps to anchor the film. He is
not snarky or gritty, just endearingly put-upon.
The film is gorgeously shot. The night scenes are
full of rich shadows, and the beach locale is fabulous. I love this shot where
two characters are talking behind a glass door and you can see Gould wandering
the beach in the reflection. Strange, idiosyncratic things like that really
make this film. All sorts of quirks, like the score that is the same song
re-orchestrated over and over. It is reminiscent of a Coen Brothers film but
with only the quirky characters. That is not to say that the film has no
serious moments. It does, and they are great because they stand out in contrast
to the quirkiness. It is the kind of movie Inherent Vice was trying to be,
except more coherent than Inherent Vice. The Long Goodbye is charmingly odd and
rambling, and wholly enjoyable.
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