Rent Night Moves (1975)

Solid neo-noir - Night Moves review by griggs

Night Moves is a solid neo-noir, but it never quite hits the heights it’s reaching for. Gene Hackman, though, is absolutely on fire—his performance as a washed-up PI is so good he pretty much carries the whole thing. The mystery is nicely tangled, full of dodgy characters and dead ends, but the payoff doesn’t hit as hard as it should. That said, the 1970s cynicism is laid on thick, and there’s a great, uneasy atmosphere throughout. It’s a good watch, but it's not quite the classic it feels like it’s building up to.

Stern and Sharp - Night Moves review by CH

When did womem cease walking across the room in nothing but a long, neatly-pressed shirt which perhaps belongs to the man also upon the premises?

This is but one - twice over - of the Seventies tropes which find a place in Night Moves. This also finds room for a small boat with the name POINT OF VIEW stencilled across its rear. This is perhaps an in-joke for a film, directed by Arthur Penn and written by former novelist, Scotsman Alan Sharp which echoes other works. The main point of view is that of private investigator Gene Hackman whose latest case is as tangled as the one behind The Big Sleep (including his own fraught marriage)..

In Los Angeles he is hired by a one-time actress to seek out her teenage daughter (Melanie Griffoth) who is no blushing violet. On the contrary, she turns out - in Florida - to be distinctly pink-bottomed and living with her stepfather.. These are but a few elements of a plot which also finds room for smuggling and stuntmen. It is as if almost anything could surface in a narrative whose body count accelerates through these hundred minutes. This is not time wasted, there is always something to keep the attention, and it is all more engaging than the bizarre work to which Penn next turned: The Missouri Breaks.

70s Noir Detective Thriller - Night Moves review by GI

This is an offbeat private eye film that was made in one of Hollywood's golden periods and whilst it was not particularly well received at the time it has gained critical acclaim over the years. It's a slow burning story with little action but a conspiracy vibe that offers an intriguing look at a film about greed and lust. It's also famed as one of Gene Hackman's quiet, yet compelling roles as private detective Harry Moseby. He's a former football player who likes the challenge of his mostly mundane cases. His marriage is failing as his wife (Susan Clark) is having an affair so Harry takes a missing person case to get away. Hired by a selfish former actress to find her wayward daughter the case leads Harry into the world of film stuntmen and all the way to Florida where he soon discovers there's more going on than he at first thought. Viewed today the film can be admired for the performances by Hackman, James Woods and Jennifer Warren amongst others including a first film role for Melanie Griffiths and it is a well written script although the slow burn and unconventional ending make this a difficult film for modern audiences.