The Long Goodbye
1973 Directed by Robert Altman
Synopsis
Detective Philip Marlowe tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife.
Cast
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There is no surface on Earth that Elliott Gould can't use to light a match.
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I've mentioned many times during my tenure on Letterboxd that 1970s crime cinema is perhaps my period and genre of films. The Long Goodbye didn't really show me why I love so many of them but it was a very good addition to the evidence pile.
In the course of being that, it also manages to be slower, more sedate and almost horizontal in its approach to the genre. So much so that calling this a 'thriller' would be stretching things a great deal. It's a film that never threatens to set your pulse racing and in fact has completely the opposite effect. I'll be making sure I stick this on next time I'm having an episode, it should work…
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A couple of months ago I decided that during 2013 I would revisit/delve deeper into the work of Robert Altman. That's the kind of ridiculous idea that frequenting this website is giving me. I jumped the gun a little bit, but no time like the present, eh?
The Long Goodbye is a great deconstruction of film noir, and namely the character of Philip Marlowe. I'm too many years removed from my infatuation with the genre to have any great insight, but I can still revel in Elliot Gould's mealy-mouthed, smart-assed, fumbling take on Marlowe. I think a big part of his charm is that Gould is fucking sexy in this movie. Fucking S-E-X-Y. That might be a weird concept to…
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What a wonderfully sly movie. Here, to comic effect, and even moreso than in the noirs of the 1940s, the Gumshoe (Elliott Gould at complete ease in the role that is equal parts wise, lanky & sexy) handily claims the moral high-ground, and keeps his cool while vilifying the wastrel and corrupt societies of both post-hippie California and poverty-paradise Mexico.
I love how Altman always keeps things conversational and slack in the film, particularly the long sequences with Sterling Hayden who for a while, seems to anticipate John Huston's monstrous villain in Chinatown. Polanski's masterpiece, also a neo-noir, came a couple years after this one plays far more by the rules of the genre, achieving transcendence by conforming, but injecting a…
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I can't say I've ever seen another Philip Marlowe film (The Big Sleep has been on my list for ages) but it would be very hard for me to believe anyone has more fun with the character than Elliot Gould does here. He is awesome and absolutely hilarious. The first hour of this film is simply amazing and such a good blend of humour and intrigue that you almost can't help but be let down by the story's culmination.
There are tonnes of great set pieces in the film and great recurring gags throughout, but for about the last 30 minutes or so it all gets a bit muddled as the movie tries to tie everything up (aside from the…
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It's okay with me.
-Philip MarloweElliott Gould's take on Philip Marlowe is pretty damn fantastic. Every line of dialogue from him, whether in a conversation or muttering to himself, is entertaining. There's a scene of him shopping for cat food that has more entertainment value in it then the entire last movie I watched.
The movie isn't great because of the plot. It's great because of Elliot Gould, witty dialogue, great characters, atmosphere and tone. The hook of the film is that essentially you have a 1950s private eye, complete with P.I. moral code, in the 1970s. The cast is fantastic, but again it's Gould that makes the entire movie work so well.
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This is a film that has been written and spoken about more eloquently than my tiny brain could muster. Classic.
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Why It’s Essential — Altman uses his trademark style to transport old school noir into a 70s context, resulting in an accessible yet languid detective story that succeeds mostly due to Gould’s central performance.
Why You’ll Want to Skip It — The atypical pacing and plot detours may test your patience.
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finally, Finally, FINALLY after a month or so of watching duds, I got to see a movie I really, really liked. I was starting to worry that maybe I was just depressed and hateful.
I'm not sure I've ever seen some one who's so cool but such a dork at the same time as Elliot Gould's Marlowe. There are Lebowski vibes throughout: the protagonist is a laid back small timer who doesn't seem to care about anything except his cat (or his rug, in Lebowski's case) but still manages to be the moral center in an unnecessarily complicated plot.
I'm still a little confused as to what happened. I think I need to watch it again before the narrative twists are ironed out for me.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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The entire first ten minutes is dedicated to Marlowe feeding his cat. Elliott Gould is outstanding as a cat feeding detective in one of the most 70s films I have ever seen.
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all timer. best Walter Brennan impression ever. Incredible THIRD MAN reference with Marlowe walking calming down a long row of trees to his friend, whose immorality is inexcusable.
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For a movie club marathon, but it doesn't take much of an excuse for me to revisit what is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite films.
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The best private detective movie of ALL TIME
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As I love the book and all that hard-boiled detective novels, I knew I would like the movie. But never expected I would have Elliott Gould as it was. He was awesome! That little bit of twinkle and facial expressions were enough to win me over within five minutes. As soon as I finished watching it, I wanted to see it again. That says it all.