The Death of Noir (2004) User Reviews

Smoky Brilliance

[jhammerl · 9/10 · 11 October 2004]

This 23 minute short film heralds the arrival of a major talent. Brian Klemesrud absolutely nails the look and feel of 1940s noir films, but tweaks it with some knowing, modern sensibilities. The cinematography and direction are top notch. It's beautiful to look at, and suggests a budget way beyond what it probably had to work with. The script is a bit challenging at times, but the dialogue is fantastic. It's hard boiled, and gritty, yet sprinkled with marvelous bits of humor throughout. Klemesrud really has an ear for the way these characters speak. The performances are solid, with Stephanie Johnson a stand out--she has the look of a great femme fatale. I thought Death of Noir was a great first film. Give this man a bigger budget! I'd love to see Klemesrud get his hands on a sci-fi action film.

wanting more...

[sethbeale · 6 December 2004]

I confess that I don't know very much about the film noir genre. But the aesthetics of this small reel of celluloid make me hope that all film noir looks this good. What I do know is that I want to live in the world of this film for more than the mere 20 minutes that I'm allowed. Were all women this pretty in the 40's? And if so, why did I have to be born three decades too late? Having most recently seen Oliver Stone's hideous "Alexander", I find myself wishing that every director with a big budget would invest similar attentiveness as Klemesrud when composing shots and determining cuts. And how can anyone not have their heart broken in the two minutes of magnificence offered by Andre Dubroc as Lieutenant Kirkland? I just wish that everything didn't have to be as concise as this format requires.

The mark of things to come...

[mrelverman · 20 October 2004]

... the truly amazing thing when watching Death of Noir is the detail and production quality for what was reported to be a minimal budget. The director clearly took painstaking measures to ensure a style and feel that most would not have followed through with given the budget - what I mean is that he must have been uncompromising in his costume/lighting/location/actor selections, etc. - things often lost in independent films with small budgets.

Inspired acting performances (including that of Steph Johnson) make this an overall pleasure to watch - begging the viewer to step inside 1940's back alley USA to see what is lying in the shadows, or into the nearest smoky bar where a friendly bartender (maybe even Zack McCoy) will give you a light and implore you to take a load off...

Overall well done - can't wait to see more...