Reviews

Fred MacMurray is cast against type. Barbara Stanwyck makes good in a role she described to novelist James M. Cain as "my favorite" in a letter. Edward G. Robinson delivers the sharp dialogue co-written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler in an understated, yet deliberate, manner. Robinson drives the film with a performance that establishes his character as an insurance claims investigator with the eagle eye of a detective. He sparkles in scenes like the following: "Nice going, Mr. Norton. You sure carried that ball. Only you fumbled on the goal line. Then you heaved an illegal forward pass and got thrown for a forty-yard loss. Now you can't pick yourself up because you haven't got a leg to stand on." Almost 80 years later, the noir genre simply does not get any better than Double Indemnity (1944).

In a two-hander, Loren & Rose (2022), Jacqueline Bisset brings a lifetime of experiences to develop her character. The art of listening resonates throughout this film in a series of conversations with her co-star Kelly Blatz. Their communication speaks to empathy, integrity, and loyalty in memorable ways. There are few performers who have appeared in award-nominated or -winning films over seven decades from the late 1960s to the present. Moreover, there are fewer actors who have filmed in as many diverse locations around the world. Bisset's performance defines a career that bridges Old Hollywood and independent film in a sui generis manner.