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Title: Juicy neo-noir
Review: This was actually made for cable TV back in 1991, but is well enough directed by Bill Condon to make it feel like a feature release. Based on a 50's hard-boiled pulp novel by the great Harry Whittington, Web of Murder, the movie stars Bryan Brown as hot shot attorney Charlie Deegan who's married to a rich wife played by Anne DiSalvo and who has a sexy secretary Laura (Teri Hatcher).So there's the standard noir plot elements--lust and greed and murder. Yep. But the way they're put together here is sharp and nifty, with lots of juicy dark humor along the way, so this is a really fun movie.Nice score--dig Satchmo's singing in the opening credits--and the acting, especially by major fly-in-the-ointment Veronica Cartwright (who puts a serious damper on Charlie's plans) is very strong.A really good addition to your neo-noir collection, Dead in the Water is a great way to spend an hour and a half soaking up them noir vibes. Oh, yeah.
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