Blow the Man Down

[3.5 stars] [IMDb Link]

[Amazon Link]
(paid link)

After three straight 1940s noir movies, I was ready to watch something a little more recent. An Amazon streamer, it's still arguably noir. The IMDB genrecizes it as "Comedy, Drama, Mystery". I'm not too sure about the comedy; if present, it's the darkest variety.

Sisters Mary Beth and Priscilla are up against it: their mom has just died, leaving them with bills to pay and not enough income to pay them. They live in a small Maine fishing village (it was filmed mostly in Harpswell, Maine, just across Casco Bay from Portland) and run a fish shop. Mary Beth is the bad sister, who wants nothing more than to have fun, preferably in the big city. Priscilla is the head-on-her-shoulders sister, who wants to make a go of the shop.

But, unfortunately, homicide intrudes. Probably justified. But it sends off a chain of events that involves a different homicide (not at all justified), the local whorehouse proprietor (Margo Martindale!), and secrets the ladies of the town have been keeping for decades.

It's pretty good, and you might find the comedy I failed to.

Old man note: I remember seeing Annette O'Toole in Smile, playing a hot young beauty pageant contestant. In 1974, she was 23.

Now she's playing old-lady roles.

I can stand getting old myself, but I'd really prefer that Annette O'Toole not get old.


Last Modified 2024-01-23 2:06 PM EDT