Thursday, April 19, 2012

Red Rock West - 1993 - 4 Stars

Actors: Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper
Director: John Dahl

'Neo-noir' is a strange genre - people like to refer to something like L.A. Confidential with a 'neo-noir' tag. L.A. Confidential has a lot of the trappings of noir - femmes fatales, corruption, people talking smart and fast - but doesn't have a true noir heart. I think neo-noir more applies to something like Red Rock West, a story about a man passing through town who gets himself into a difficult situation.

4 stars is perhaps too effusive praise, but the film has a strong sense of itself and manages to fulfill everything it sets out to do. Nicolas Cage is not an ultra-ham, but Dennis Hopper is, and it's awesome.

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