Mud Songs

I saw The Maltese Falcon tonight in a theatre. It was okay, but it’s not in the same league as Casablanca. Bogart’s performance is uneven, the romantic element is unconvincing and the story isn’t too intriguing or compelling. For me, it has more style than substance. And even then, it’s not spectacular. My favourite film noir starring Bogart — if you really want to aim for cool just for the sake of being cool — is The Big Sleep, which would be great to see in a theatre.

I saw Casablanca in a theatre tonight for the first time. It was amazing. Seeing it on a giant screen in a theatre with a good audience, I noticed details in the acting and the storyline that passed me by in all my previous viewings. It opened the movie up to me in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible. Casablanca is a classic that deserves its reputation.

In a Lonely Place is an unremarkable Humphrey Bogart movie I’ve already forgotten.