Nicholas Ray’s seminal film, In a Lonely Place is a tour de force. I watched it before going on vacation and it just completely left me devastated. I never really got Bogart’s appeal but he owns the screen as hack scriptwriter Dixon Steele. He’s charming, brooding and knee deep in existential dread. To make things worse, he’s often consumed by rage and a suspect for murder. If you have ever driven around aimless at 2 in the morning looking for a cure for insomnia, then you’ll relate to Bogie’s situation. And if not, it doesn’t matter you’ll still be hooked because In a Lonely Place simply put is a marvelous film.
