Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Mostly great acting in an engaging story
Cons: A little bit of overacting and a couple plot holes
The Bottom Line:
A couple plot holes
In an other wise great plot
Should be better known
"You're Young and in Love. But Don't Let it Get Out of Hand Like Those Falls."
During a recent run of noir movies on Turner Classic Movies,
I ran across Niagara . I’d never heard of the film before, but I was
quite curious to see it starred Marilyn Monroe as the fem fatal. Intrigued, I watched it, and I’m glad I did.
Polly Cutler (Jean Peters) and her husband Ray (Max
Showalter, but credited as Casey Adams) are finally getting away for a belated
honeymoon. When they go to check in to
their cabin at Niagara Falls ,
they find that the previous occupants haven’t cleared out yet. Wife Rose Loomis (Marilyn Monroe) explains
that her husband is quite sick and is finally asleep, so the Cutlers take
another available cabin.
That night, they finally meet George (Joseph Cotton) and see
that his sickness is more mental. Or is
Rose driving him to it? It seems Rose
has a secret of her own, and just might be plotting to kill her husband. Will she succeed? Will Polly and Ray be able to enjoy their
honeymoon?
The story starts relatively quickly and the tension keeps
increasing. I was surprised at just how
quickly the story unfolded. There are
some nice plot twists along the way as well that kept me engaged.
Likewise, the acting was wonderful. I’m not that familiar
with Marilyn Monroe as an actress (this is only the second film I’ve seen her
in), but her performance here was strong.
You could see her character’s mind working. The rest of the main cast is just as good,
which is one reason why I got so lost in the story so easily.
While the movie was filmed partially on sound stages in California , it was also
partially filmed on location. That gives
the sinister story a gorgeous backdrop.
The Technicolor picture adds to the beauty.
Unfortunately, the film does show it’s 60 year age. There are some obvious special effects, most
noticeably in the climax. Honestly, I
was so caught up in the action that I noticed only in passing.
The bigger issue are a couple of plot holes. Yes, you can guess how the characters got to
where they are, but it is truly never explained. Those flaws are bigger and more serious to me
than dated special effects. And when I
notice them in the middle of the film, it means there is a serious plot problem
that should have been addressed. Yes, I
am being vague because discussing them would spoil the film.
And I don’t want to do that because I definitely recommend
you see it. Plot holes aside, you will
get caught up in Niagara and enjoy the ride.
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