Don't Bother to Knock
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.20 You Save: $7.78 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.42 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Don't Bother to Knock
Movie Review: I had no idea Marilyn Monroe could act
Summary: 3 Stars
If I were to classify Don't Bother to Knock, I would put it into the rarely used category of meta-noir. All of the elements of noir are in full force here: an urban landscape, an inquisitive male lead stuck between two women, a suspenseful plot, but then the noir aspects break down. (I will be intentionally vague in the next few sentences so as not to give the plot away.) The script offers what seems like a femme fatale role, a staple of all noir, but the script blunts and softens her, and the audience must rethink and re-judge her at the close of the film. In many films noir, there is also a nurturing woman to counter the femme fatale and seduce the male lead in a more traditional way. In this film, however, there is no nurturing woman, but rather a strong, independent woman. The film seems to throw noir completely on its head, complicating stock female characters and making the male lead more dynamic than one would expect from noir. The result is a tidy vignette that argues against the noir world, yet unfortunately runs out of time before offering another world in return.
Marilyn Monroe (playing Nell Forbes) steals this film effortlessly. Because she is generally not a strong actor, it's wonderful to see Monroe so confident and subtle. I imagine that she knew Nell better than any other character she ever played. As I was watching the movie, I wondered what Monroe could have been if Hollywood had taken her more seriously and challenged her rather than relegating her to perpetual blonde bombshell. I was surprised and fascinated by the moments in this film when Monroe ceased to be attractive. She spends almost the entire film inside two adjoining hotel rooms, and it's amazing what she can do with few props and very little space.
It's been argued that the script is weak and that all the characters aside from Nell are underdeveloped. I agree that the film showcases Monroe, but the script isn't that bad. The first half of the movie is peppered with cheesy, noir one-liners and sets an intriguing mood slowly. This is intentional. Quite suddenly, a dramatic thriller sets in the second half of the film, the canned dialogue gets tossed, and the noir elements unravel quickly.
Any Monroe fan should treasure this film, but even those who find most of her other films silly should give this one a chance. It's a glimpse of Monroe as she could have been.
Movie Review: Marilyn intrigue
Summary: 3 Stars
Don't Bother To Knock is a film that is told through these following elements; simplicity, theatre and cinema. The characters are developed with simple and short sequences, you can feel that their story has started long before we are introduced to them and the filmmakers are successful in giving us hints into their psyches. The camera shots are telling the story as much as the dialogue; in one scene the close up shot of a woman putting on lipstick in front of a mirror she she holds in one hand while applying with the other, reveals scars on both wrists to further give information of her mental state and vulnerability. Also through carefully placed dialogue we learn of the characters' philosophy and of their personalities, like the elevator operator who is constantly apologizing to guests and fussing over them with questions; 'are you satisified with this or that during your stay'. The film understands which parts of the story needs to be in the confinements of theatrical elements, which parts need to be literary and when to use the camera shot as part of the story-telling. Considering most filmmakers do not understand the language of cinema, it is an unexpected surprise to find a film as simple as this one doing it right; Hitchcock would be proud. Meanwhile the cast is wonderful, especially the charming and interesting performance by Marilyn Monroe; this one is for the archives in a beautifully restored version on this dvd edition.Movie Review: Marilyn's first big part
Summary: 3 Stars
A young woman recently released from a mental institution (Marilyn Monroe) slips back into madness in the New York hotel where her uncle (Elisha Cook, Jr.) has found a babysitting job for her. This is an interesting little thriller, but not memorable enough to have survived the test of time had it not featured Monroe's first starring role. Although she is quite good, her part is underdeveloped. We really learn nothing about how she came to be as she is, and her illness is the stereotypical pathology of slipping into the past and pining for a lost love. A few scenes in which a child is endangered provoke some real suspense, and I can't help but wonder how it played for 50s audiences. Good viewing, but it fails to transcend its B-movie status./Movie Review: knock !
Summary: 3 Stars
only about an hour long but a great vehicle for marilyn monroe as the crazed/delusional baby sitter.
Check it out.
Movie Review: Don't Bother to Watch- except for the stars
Summary: 2 Stars
'Don't Bother to Knock' looks promising from the outside. What could be better than seeing Marilyn Monroe give one of her few dramatic performances? After all, she was great in 'The Misfits', decent in 'Bus Stop' and 'Niagra'. This one is good too, right?
Wrong. This film is horrible. Honestly the preview for this film (the trailer is an extra on the DVD) is so cheesy this film would have worked better as a parody. Of course, it was 1952, so I guess they didn't realize films still had a long way to go. A weak attempt to be a noir/dramatic/suspense film that just doesn't cut it. The script is weak, the characters are flat and underdeveloped, and the acting is embarassing. Although many Monroe fans may be smitten with her acting in this film, I'm not buying it. The breathy, sex goddess voice just doesn't cut it for a mentally deranged chick. Instead her portrayal comes off as a weak cross between trying to be a psycho and trying to be sexy. You could see Monroe still wanted her character to be sexually appealing (or maybe it was the producers who wanted her character to be sexually appealing) and that just doesn't work for a psychotic character. Whether or not it's a sex goddess actress playing a psychotic character doesn't matter. The line between bringing an actor's personality into a character should not be crossed, and in this case, it is. We cannot help but see Nell as 'Marilyn Monroe trying to play a psycho' instead of just 'Nell the psycho'. Monroe's attempt at drama is interesting to watch, but at times, cringeworthy. By this time, she may have perfected her ability at playing bombshells but not yet drama. It is safe to say Monroe's dramatic acting would certainly improve later on (re: 'The Misfits'). But as terrible as 'Don't Bother to Knock' is, the film should not be completely ignored, it's a good piece of memorabilia for movie fans. We get to see Monroe with darker hair and less makeup and watch as a young Anne Bancroft makes her film debut. If you must watch it, watch only for the two young actress (one a future legend, the other a future Academy Award winner) who would go on to achieve much greater things with their lives.