Saturday, May 25, 2019

Twilight (1998): Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Reese Witherspoon


     Co-written and directed by Robert Benton, Twilight (1998) has all the hallmarks of great Film Noir, despite being made half-a-century after the peak period of the genre. Full of plot twists, dramatic cinematography, tense moments and good performances, Twilight is an underrated Gem. Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon and James Garner are all great in the lead roles... and a young Reese Witherspoon holds her own.
     Harry Ross (Paul Newman) is an aging private detective...

Twilight. 1998: Paul Newman

     He is hired to track down 17-year-old runaway Mel Ames (Reese Witherspoon)...

Twilight. 1998: Reese Witherspoon

     Ross finds her in Mexico...

Twilight. 1998: Reese Witherspoon

Twilight. 1998: Reese Witherspoon

Twilight. 1998: Reese Witherspoon

Twilight. 1998: Reese Witherspoon

     He brings her back, but she does not go quietly...

Twilight. 1998: Reese Witherspoon

     Fast forward two years... Mel's parents, both wealthy actors, are grateful for Ross' discreet assistance and have hired him on permanently. Jack Ames (Gene Hackman) is now Ross' trusted friend, but he is dying of cancer...

Twilight. 1998

     Catherine Ames (Susan Sarandon) openly flirts with Ross, and he finds it hard to resist her charms...

Twilight. 1998

     Trouble emerges once again when Mel's ex-boyfriend (the one from Mexico two years prior) attempts to blackmail Jack Ames about a murder committed 20 years before. Ross enlists the help of his friend, retired Cop Raymond Hope (James Garner)...

Twilight. 1998: Paul Newman

     but the web of confusion and misleads is growing denser, as Ross realizes that the situation is much more serious than it first appears...

Twilight. 1998: Paul Newman