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DVD review- Dark Streets (2008)
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Bijou Phillips cruises some Dark Streets.
Even though the classic period of film noir flourished during the 1940's and 1950's, the decades since have seen this genre revisited from time to time. Some of the best examples of modern film noir include Chinatown, L.A. Confidential, Dark City, and Brick. Dark Streets does not necessarily stand among those greats, but it is a good movie if you can forgive its weaknesses.
Dark Streets is set in New Orleans during the 1930's. Gabriel Mann (The Bourne Supremacy) stars as Chaz, the owner of a blues club called The Tower. The headliner at his club is the sultry Crystal, played with style by Bijou Phillips (Hostel: Part II, Bully), who has been known to sometimes share Chaz's bed. Chaz has serious financial woes and is being shaken down by some shady characters, and he's also haunted by the recent suicide of his father. Soon a corrupt cop played by Elias Koteas (Zodiac, Shooter) offers to protect the club, but in exchange he wants Chaz to hire Madelaine, played by Izabella Miko (Coyote Ugly), as a new singer. Meanwhile, the city is stricken with a series of blackouts, and then the dead bodies start piling up. Soon all these seemingly disparate elements come together to reveal a web of deceit. As one character declares early on, "Sometimes things ain't always like they seem."
This film's biggest flaw is that it is all style and virtually no substance. This movie looks great. Every set piece is shrouded in darkness, with the occasional beam of sunlight attempting to sneak through the windows of poorly illuminated rooms. Some scenes are filmed using purposefully blurry camera effects, giving them a haze that seems almost hallucinatory. Other scenes are shot far away from the action, making the audience feel like they are spying on the characters.
Unfortunately, the plot itself is paper thin. When the final denouncement is revealed, all it elicits from the audience is a shrug. It seems as if the filmmakers were more involved with the look and feel of the film, as opposed to what it was actually about. Another detriment is Gabriel Mann's portrayal of Chaz. For someone who is supposed to be the lead, his is an awfully weak character who practically stumbles through each scene. The supporting cast far outshines his performance.
Even given these problems, there's still a decent movie here. Dark Streets was certainly made in the vein of the classic era of film noir, even though it doesn't try to add anything new or compelling to the genre (for an excellent movie that succeeds in taking noir to a new level, see 2005's Brick). Recommended for fans of noir, classic or modern, who aren't necessarily looking to have their minds blown.
DVD features include a commentary with the director and two of the actors, and deleted and alternate scenes.
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