In a Lonely Place
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend A hotheaded Hollywood screenwriter, questioned for murder, is drawn to his neighbor when she confirms his alibi, but his volatile nature eventually threatens to destroy their one last chance for real love.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: UNRelease Date: 1-JAN-2007Media Type: DVD Product details and pricing info |
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72 Reviews for In a Lonely Place
- One of Bogart's most complex roles
- This was a very interesting role for Humphrey Bogart, and was a bit of a production code buster on several levels.
Bogart plays Hollywood screenwriter Dixon Steele, who is in somewhat of a writing rut. He also has a quick temper and a paranoia complex. He picks fights with people over the most routine matters and these fights commonly come to blows. He is indeed "in a lonely place" of his own making. Steele has a chance to write a screenplay based on a book, but the author wants him to read the book and give him his opinion in just a matter of a few days. At the restaurant where Steele has talked with the author, the hat check girl says she has just read the book and loves it. Steele invites her to come over to his apartment and tell him about the book to save him the trouble of reading it. This is all very innocent in what Steele intends and in what actually happens. In fact, Steele's reaction, unseen and unheard by the hat check girl, to her semi-literate oral book report is wickedly funny. After the girl tells her story, she leaves. Neighbor Laurel Grey (Gloria Grahame) sees her leave. However, the next day, the girl's strangled body is found next to a road. The police quickly find their way back to Steele's place where, due to his violent nature and nonchalant reaction to the murder, he is under immediate suspicion. He finds an alibi in his neighbor Laurel, and this is how they formally meet.
Almost immediately the two begin a relationship that gets serious fast. Laurel finds Steele attentive and interesting. Thus at first Laurel thinks Steele is innocent of the murder, but one by one her doubts grow. Steele explodes over little things, even eventually punching out his own agent over nothing. In fact, Steele's agent is his only real friend and actually is a bit of an enabler for his bad behavior. You always see Steele show his idea of remorse for his actions, even anonymously sending money to a guy he has beaten up over a traffic accident. However, the question that is left to be answered is - exactly what is going on with this guy? Could he have stalked and killed the girl over his anger at something else or someone else entirely? And if he didn't kill the hat check girl, will he eventually kill someone else? Laurel is asking these same questions as she begins to wonder - is it more dangerous to try and run away from Steele, or is it more dangerous to stay? One should never consider saying "yes" to a marriage proposal if it comes down to what is less dangerous.
Laurel is not exactly a finished book herself. Apparently she had a serious relationship with a well-off man just prior to this, and ended it for really no tangible reason. Then there is a kind of g ay subtext going on between herself and her masseuse Martha. They only have one scene together but it certainly throws out more questions than answers, just like the rest of this film.
If you like noir, if you like Bogart, if you like being challenged, watch this film. - 2010-01-03, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- so close to a 5 star!
- Pretty good movie. If you like Bogart this is a must not his best role but one of his better indeed). I didn't really like the actress that played the leading lady though, but she did her job in giving the script the tension needed. I would of liked if Bogart's character Steele would of been isolated a little in the flick (psychically scenes-representing emotional isolation; maybe to make you feel a little sympathy for him becuase after all we dont know if he did it or not, adding another emotional layer for the audience),hence "in a lonely place". Last thought: ole Dix Steele is a prime patient for PTSD therapy, no?
- 2009-11-18, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- I Lived a Few Weeks While You Loved Me
- Humphrey Bogart is no hero here. He's a murder suspect. He's alcoholic, violently angry, frustrated, isolated . . . intelligent, fiercely loyal, proud, and longing for connection. This is perhaps his most nuanced, authentic performance, in one of his finest films from a purely artistic point of view. The plot centers around the possibility that he might, in a drunken rage, have killed a hat check girl he took home from a bar. Gloria Grahame plays an attractive neighbor who takes an interest. It's hard to say more without saying too much. You just have to watch it. The acting, script and direction are first-rate while the visual style serves the story effectively. Bogart's own company produced the film, freeing it from the constraints of a studio production. It was and remains unconventional. Not a success in its day or among his most popularly revived films, In a Lonely Place's stature has grown over the years. It stands as a finely-made and engrossing testament to Bogart's commitment to his art. Highly recommended.
- 2009-10-27, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Fantastic!
- I began watching this movie on Turner Classic Movies. I wasn't able to see the end and just had to see the climax! I went online at Amazon to purchase it. I found it a great movie of its era--or any era. Most unusual. Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Graham were both perfect in their starring roles. The other cast members were also excellent. You must see it!
- 2009-08-26, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Brilliantly Inverts Noir Convention
- This is one of my favorite Bogart films, for many of the reasons other reviewers have already mentioned.
What I especially liked was that, from my perspective, Bogart himself plays the femme fatale role, in that it is his dealings with others that lead inexorably to tragedy and/or heartbreak. While his new love and friends and business partners try to save him, his inner demons prevail and nearly bring everyone down in the process.
Also great as a Hollywood-in-the-50s film, this one is recommended. - 2009-08-25, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
