I recently revisited a couple of 90's noir crime films and felt very gratified in knowing they stand the test of time. The first was The Last Seduction (1994) a film by directed by John Dahl. I was surprised by how little I remembered about the plot- was sucked in again by the plot twists. The three main lead performances (Linda Fiorentino, Bill Pullman, and Peter Berg) were great as well. I never understood why Fiorentino never became a bigger star, she had a great role and one of the greatest lines of the decade: "Who do I have to blow to get a drink around here?"
The other noir thriller was The Grifters (1991), an adaptation of a Jim Thompson novel by Stephen Frears. I was able to remember the plot of this film more easily, but that's not detracting from the artistry of the film. I think this one also had three great performances from leads (Angelica Huston, John Cusak, Annette Bening) not to mention some great performances from supporting characters like J.T. Walsh as Cole as well as others. I was surprised to see Jeremy Piven as a sailor mark on the train to San Diego that Cusak exploits. Overall, I was entertained as the first time I saw it.
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