Solid mystery thriller

Black Angel is a very solid mystery thriller with a complicated romantic angle peppered in for good measure. Arguably, the main sticking point that holds it back are the final five minutes when the full extent of what transpired the night of Mrs. Marlowe’s murder is revealed. It comes off as facile and not particularly inspired from a script point of view. That said, ironically, director Neill and cinematographer Paul Ivano indulge in some wild and creative visuals to make the pill a bit go down a bit smoother. Nevertheless, the movie is engaging for its taught mystery, its attempts at drilling home tension, and might even relate to some viewers that have gone through the simultaneously painful but beautiful experience of rediscovering love when it was previously believed to be lost and gone forever. If anything, Dan Duryea is an incomparable drunk. http://www.cutprintfilm.com/features/friday-noir-black-angel/