Harper (Jack Smight, 1966)

Ross Macdonald is probably my second favorite crime author of the classical pulp era (first one - needless really to point out - being Chandler) and his Lew Archer the second coolest P.I. ever (after you know of course who being the first one). Apparently Paul Newman liked him a lot also and was happy to play the part under one condition – name Archer needed to be substituted with Harper because letter H was his lucky one (after filming The Hustler and Hud).

And he’s okay but I think he’s overdoing the part just a little bit. Yes, we know he’s supposed to be cynical but sometimes he’s acting like he’s being in comedy and not in a hard-boiled crime. I don't know, there are just too many of those facial grimaces. He is not at all bad and doesn’t damage the movie (like Frank Sinatra for example might) and especially his lines with witty dialogues and one-liners are delivered perfectly. But credits for that probably go more to its brilliant literary source.

Anyways, he’s okay but supporting cast is magnificent. Especially Lauren Bacall, Shelley Winters (once again!!!) and Janet Leigh. Bacall seems to be having really good time filming this and she plays her bitchy character to perfection. Real joy to watch, she was so cool!

Movie too is okay but has few faults. With almost two hours of running time it is for sure too long for mystery flick and story gets too convoluted. It doesn’t drag on and it never gets boring but both characters introductions and suspense building simply take too long. Seems like screenwriters tried too hard to stick to the book as much as possible when adapting it. Which was probably not needed since it was published in 1949 so they could afford a bit of tweaking it. I think it would be better to drop some character (like Harper’s wife and whole thing about divorce) or sub-plots altogether. Who knows…

Still a great movie and very enjoyable to see every few years or so, it doesn’t age at all! And last thing totally worth mentioning is hilarious poster – I simply must give Harper an extra star for it!

8/10

Cleopatra Jones (Jack Starrett, 1973)

Fun, but not very good. At least not from pure blaxploitation point of view. It’s not violent enough, there’s no swearing (!!!??!) and music is okay but far from other funky “Shaft” like classics. 

Tamara Dobson is cute and cool and has some style and does few kung-fu moves and has this fancy Corvette but she’s not nearly as dangerous as Pam Grier in Coffy or Foxy Brown. But she wears better or should I say most outrageous costumes! Opening scene is a killer – she is in the desert somewhere in the Middle East and she’s wearing fuckin’ fur coat!! Hilarious, poor girl must have been sweating like a pig!

Oh yeah, I mustn’t forget to mention Shelley Winters. She plays “Mommy”, lesbian leader of the hoods and she is once again adorable as she plays the role totally over the top. Final climax and “showdown” between the leading ladies at the car junkyard is classic and total highlight of this fun little flick.

5/10