Farewell, My Lovely (1975)

Nominated for 1 Academy Award:

Best Supporting Actress: Sylvia Miles

 

Farewell, My Lovely is a mystery, crime drama about a detective looking for a woman, who gets mixed in all kinds of trouble. It has the feel of a noir movie, except it’s shot in the 1970s, so it’s also kitschy and just a bit sloppy in execution. I like this genre, that nowadays we tend to see mostly on TV, and I knew almost nothing about the film and the book, so there were no spoilers involved.

Artistically, it’s not much of an achievement. It lacks a clear vision and it’s held together mostly by some smart dialogue and the charisma of Robert Mitchum. Sylvia Miles got nominated for an Oscar, a bit out of nowhere, and she’s good, she’s really good, and the role is juicy, but unfortunately very limited in screentime, basically just 2 scenes. I’m surprised the voters remembered her, but I applaud the nomination.

 

I give it: 7/10

IMDB LINK