Cinema: Fresh Eye

THE LATE SHOW

Directed and Written by ROBERT BENTON

Movies have expended much effort, and received scant reward, trying to revive that beloved figure of another age's popular culture—the private eye. They have lovingly re-created his old ambience (Farewell, My Lovely) and succeeded only in embalming him. They have also tried transplanting him, old knightly virtues intact, into our own time. But whether aware of his awkwardness in this era (The Black Bird) or seemingly oblivious of it (The Long Goodbye), the resulting films have been discomfiting.

The Late Show represents by far the...

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