Two Men in Manhattan

Jason

A European's-eye-view (not always unlike Robert Frank's, when out on the streets) of a smarmy-from-the-top-down-to-the-bottom Samuel Fuller New York. You will be forgiven for not perhaps grasping the full, sly sophistication of Melville's masterpiece.

chanandre

(Cinémathèque PT). Melville est le père et parrain de la Nouvelle Vague. A bit of Fuller, Lang, Mann, Huston, Preminger and Wilder here. Photograhic winos as well.

José Neves

DCP, re-rating. In fact, little happens here except for Melville's fixation on a cinematographic genre and a certain capital of sympathy for a straightforward approach to the "noir" B-movie clichés, where all the women sought are a crude variation of the vamp. Of good it's the last sequence, curiously more of the side of a new cinema as Cassavetes (like its contemporary "Shadows") or Clarke's open breath.

Sean Patrick Stevens

Worth watching for cinematography alone even if the story is a lesser noir compared to classics like "sweet smell of success" but interesting mood piece nonetheless.

bernardovazdecastro

This film is a paradox in Melville's career, for one hand is his tribute to the american noir cinema ( having explicit reference, like the billboard scene that appears with many names of classic Hollywood actors; or the implicit reference to the "Asphalt Jungle" elements) and for the other hand the turning point to a path where he create a more abstract and simbolic world.

S.J.B.

A lesson in understanding Melville's inspirations surrounding both American noir as well as America's commodity culture. Unfortunately, there's really no reason this film had to be set in New York, and to have "Manhattan" in the title leaves much to be desired. However, this film contains some of the wryest and darkest humor one will find in Melville's work. This and his star performance make it a necessary viewing.

FISCHER

Incompréhensible échec commercial, cette superbe oeuvre d'atmosphère à l'ambiance feutrée comme un air de jazz, mérite une urgente réhabilitation... www.cinefiches.com

Pulpwino

Great to have finally seen this film courtesy of Eddie Muller and the film noir foundation. Not Melville's best film, but one with all the right touches of dark humor, lust, greed & cynicism betrayed by a sentimental ending. A very fun & exploratory few hours, with fantastic views of 50's NYC.