We've avoided this film until now as we thought it might be 'unpleasant' viewing. It was, but it was absolutely riveting. Almost everyone is evil, conniving, selfish,brutal and abusive - abusive of power and abusive of those they consider of lesser value than themselves, which is almost everyone. It's filmed in an almost noir style and the appearance of the film itself says a lot. Some films are made in black & white, but this one makes a point of it. It is crisp and very contrasty, and in the exterior night-time scenes the reflections of the club and shop signs bring a certain glamour. As for the story, there is very little to it, just a self-obsessed gossip columnist who wants to break his sister from her jazz musician boyfriend and uses his press agent to do it. Performances from Lancaster and Curtis are brilliant, and everyone else steps up to the mark too. As the credits rolled, we sat in silence before we just said 'wow'. I could watch it again just to spot the finer details.
Review of Sweet Smell of Success
