I was attracted to this one by the cast, particularly Jimmy Cagney and William Bendix. I knew from reading the user reviews that there was little or no plot. None the less I watched out of curiosity. Now, I am a fan of the classic old postwar b&w flicks, but this one ultimately falls flat. For about the first half, one is engaged by the variety of characters coming before us, and the "slice of life" ruminations and quasi-philosophical discourses. However, that wears thin, and the second half is a drag. The peculiar old Western gunslinger is a puzzle; he seems to fill no dramatic purpose. The presence of many odd cutaways indicates that a lot of the original shoot wound up on the cutting room floor. Cagney seems to be presented as a sort of resident philosopher/observer, but in the end he dispenses no particular wisdom and one is curious as to exactly what his purpose is as well. Cagney's and Bendix's performances are the best part of the movie, but not enough to make it work. In the end, it's a drag.
Review of The Time of Your Life
