Angela

Writer/director/star Dennis O’Keefe crafted this Italian/American film noir picture about murder, deception, and everything in between. Unfortunately, what eventually released to theaters landed with a dull thud, never quite living up to the premise this picture promised. Its story about a secretary convincing an American car salesman to stage an accident for a major businessman who apparently died of a heart attack is frustrating to watch unfold. The reasons behind the deception are nebulous at best, and our lead’s willingness to participate in it is accredited solely to his infatuation with Angela (Mara Lane), the secretary to the deceased whom he has fallen for.

The biggest problem is that the film struggles to keep our interests throughout this bloated runtime. It only runs 81 minutes, but it is paced so poorly that it feels like twice that time has passed by the time we get to the inevitable finale. So much rides on us having empathy for our lead character, and Dennis knows how to build that to a degree, but the way everything is staged really tests our ability to stay with him. He comes across as a patsy, easily led by the whims of Angela, and when we have a character so easily manipulated, it becomes hard to root for him.

There is some fun to have here, but it is drowned out in poor direction and a plot that frustrates far more often than it delights. This is a hard film to find a copy to watch, and it doesn’t deserve the effort needed to get it. Instead, there are far better films out there that are better worth the time and effort to see. 1954 - 81 minutes