“In the 1940’s, a new genre – film noir – emerged from the world of hard-boiled pulp magazines, paperback thrillers, and sensational crime movies. These films, tough and unsentimental, depicted a black and white universe at once brutal, erotic, and morally ambiguous.”

Film Noir officially started in the 40’s, but the movement was well underway by the early 30’s. You can trace its roots to the Great Depression and the arrival of the dime pulp magazines. These were highly stylized, mostly mystery stories that provided cheap escapism for the masses who were not having a good time of it. Writers like Raymond Chandler crafted the mold that was easily transferred to the silver screen. These were low-budget films that were intended to be second billing with the more mainstream releases. They were shot quickly. Many have a very flat look, created intentionally. The lighting was often minimal, crafting odd shadows and unusual textures. The dialog wasn’t intended to be natural or realistic. These characters usually spoke in clichés and had names like Mac, Griff, or Dollface. There was often a shade of gray to these characters. Good and evil were not always so clear-cut. Gangsters became common themes of the genre. And while the dialog might have been cheesy, the cinematography was often gritty and almost ultra-realistic. At times the films played out like documentaries, often including narration. The narrator would always be a voice of authority; often film-reel stars were used. The films were heavily influenced by German Expressionism, perfected by the likes of Fritz Lang in the silent era and carried over to more modern themes. The films always contained a steady supply of stock characters and actors. It was smoky rooms and neon lights. It was a reflection on the times. It was Film Noir.

"I wonder if you ever stop on the way home and watch the children playing. In the street, or in the yard. And when the time comes and their mothers call them in, they're often reluctant. They … they get a little contrary. But that's as it should be. Far better than to be the child you occasionally see, he's sitting by himself in the corner not taking part, not happy, not unhappy. Merely waiting for his mother to call him in. I've become afraid that I might end up like that child. And I so very much do not wish to do so."

I love Bill Nighy. It doesn't matter if he's doing roles covered in makeup like Underworld and Pirates Of The Caribbean, or he's doing heartfelt characters like About Time. There is something quite authentic about any role he plays. He manages to suppress Bill Nighy and deliver a fully formed character. He's always compelling, and that hasn't changed with his latest film, Living. The film was adapted from a 1952 Japanese film Ikiru written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The English-language screenplay was adapted by Kazuo Ishiguro, who had long wanted to adapt the film for English audiences. The result is quite the character study.

Backtrack, AKA Catchfire, is one of those films where you look at the stacked cast and you’d think this would have to be a great film, or how have I not heard of this film? Dennis Hopper and Jodie Foster, just one year before starring in The Silence of the Lambs; just this pair alone makes this film worth checking out. What also makes this film a bit unique is that it directed by Dennis Hopper as well.  Easy Rider is pretty much a classic in its own right, and in 1988 he had also done this film Colors, which starred Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. It is a pretty solid film and worth checking out, but right now the focus is on Backtrack. Really, it is at its core a simple crime/mobster movie, but it is sort of a cautionary tale of what happens when you try to inject too much “art” into a film that really is just a basic (yet strange)  neo-noir story.

Anne Benton (Jodie Foster) is a fairly successful artist and has a relatively normal life, but that all changes when she gets a flat tire and as a results stumbles across a mob hit. She narrowly gets away, and when her boyfriend, played by Charlie Sheen, is killed by some mobsters, she goes to the police. Well, they are no big help; they want her to change her name and go into witness protection, which is something she’s not interested in. Fearing for her safety, she goes on the run and into hiding.