If for some reason the most interesting bar companion in the world asked me to rattle off my favorite movie genres Noir would be listed 1-3. I polished off the perfect to good American classics, mowed down everything Melville and the frenchies could churn out, and then turned to second tier Hollywood offerings. Unfortunately semi-star Noirs are grim corner of cinema, "Nightmare Alley" and "The Lady From Shanghai" I'm eyeballing you.
The effort was so discouraging that reading to get my fix seemed like an inspired and novel* idea. Ray did not disappoint, the was plot compelling, unfathomably his words were still cool, and I felt a little sharper when finished. Always good for a point or two, the length was almost very short, or at least it felt like it.
