Unlike a lot of commentators on this site, I found "Alias Nick Beale" to be kind of slow and uninvolving, but that probably just my prejudice against film noir revealing itself. I liked Ray Milland just fine in his role, but the guy who played the "Faust" character dull and uninteresting - probably not the actor's fault, since the character he plays is a self-important blowhard who is willing to take shortcuts to get important reforms done.
However, I did like the way the screenplay made things "complicated" for the "hero" as he dealt with more and more unexpected consequences of his initial compromise, and unlike some here, I liked the lead actress' performance as the Jezebel with a heart of gold.
There's some heavy-handed and not very convincing sermonizing by a minister that's supposed to serve as the moral center of the film, and I have to say that if that's what we've got for inspiration against the wiles of St. Nick, we're in trouble.
Still, I have to give the film credit for some interesting ideas and some good one-liners by "Beale", and a resolution that leaves the hero with something like a 2nd chance.
However, I did like the way the screenplay made things "complicated" for the "hero" as he dealt with more and more unexpected consequences of his initial compromise, and unlike some here, I liked the lead actress' performance as the Jezebel with a heart of gold.
There's some heavy-handed and not very convincing sermonizing by a minister that's supposed to serve as the moral center of the film, and I have to say that if that's what we've got for inspiration against the wiles of St. Nick, we're in trouble.
Still, I have to give the film credit for some interesting ideas and some good one-liners by "Beale", and a resolution that leaves the hero with something like a 2nd chance.