Adorable rural noir

Dear Robert Altman,

I loved the long and contemplative tracking shot at the beginning of Thieves Like Us. The camera slowly tracks a tram transporting a bunch of criminals against a bleak and cloudy rural backdrop. It slowly moves away from the tram and towards a couple of men (who turn out to be criminals escaping to freedom) rowing towards the shore in a boat. The whole film is up to its neck in rainy and cloudy visuals like these. Even though the visuals are rather bleak, I felt like you were expressing adoration for the idyllic rural America during the great depression. The characters are all very talky, reflecting their attitudes and aspirations. It is sort of a talkfest film in a way. The awkward and wiry Robert Carradine and Shelly Duvall were adorable. Some reviewers suggested that the constant radio advertisements and serials played throughout the film was a knock on the consumerist culture that tried to lure poor citizens even during a depression. But I thought it was used to create a comedic and nostalgic effect. I liked this more than They Live by Night (1948). I am not sure if this is a noir film. I mean, the bank robbery scenes hardly get any time. The film is mostly about what these characters are doing when they're not robbing banks.

Best Regards, Pimpin.

(8/10)