“It’s okay with me.”
“Nobody cares but me.”
“You don’t belong here.”
synopsis
Private detective Philip Marlowe becomes entangled in the apparent suicide of a friend and a tangled web of betrayal that stretches from Malibu mansions to psychiatric facilities. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the film reframes Raymond Chandler’s classic character in a morally adrift modern world.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Altman deconstructs noir rather than reveres it. Elliott Gould’s Marlowe is shambling, ironic, almost passive — a man out of time in a self-absorbed era. The film feels loose, improvised, and deliberately anti-glamorous. It frustrates some viewers expecting classic noir precision, but its mood and subversion are compelling.
Patience.
A tolerance for anti-hero drift.
Viewing it as noir commentary, not noir revival.
Absurdist's Corner
Philip Marlowe wanders through 1970s L.A. like he’s still in 1946 — and everyone else got the memo except him.
fun facts
The same musical theme is repeated in multiple variations throughout the entire film.
Altman’s loose directing style clashed with traditional noir expectations.
The ending sharply diverges from Chandler’s novel — controversially so.