UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

drjgardner To a purist like me "Cross Cross" is not really "film noir" because it lacks some critical elements. The protagonist (Burt Lancaster, just off "The Killers") isn't really seduced into his ill-fated venture by a femme fatale. It may look that way, but in reality the plan to rob the armored car comes from Steve (Burt), not from Anna (Yvonne de Carlo), and not even at her instigation. And Anna is not really a femme fatale who double crosses our hero. In fact she stays wonderfully true to him until she must chose between his life and hers. In most film noir the femme fatale is not merely working for herself but usually with the antagonist (Dan Duryea). In this film she is double crossing Duryea, not Lancaster. There are many noir elements in the film. The urban setting (really nice to see downtown LA in the late 40s), the motley crew of crims, and the off-beat photography are all tried and true noir elements along with the downbeat ending. But many elements are not present, as indicated above, along with the unrelenting rain and lots of night scenes.Putting aside the film noir bonafides, there are some real big plot holes in the film, all of which you will discover for yourself.It's an OK film. You get to see an uncredited Tony Curtis dancing with de Carlo, and trolley cars operating in downtown LA. But don't expect to see your classic film noir. Best case, it is noirish. In reality it is more about the dangers of obsessive love, which is one of the themes in film noir, but usually done better.BTW – if you're a fan of Robert Siodmak this isn't one of his better films – "The Killers" (1946) and "Spiral Staircase" (1945) are my favorites, and for a change of pace his teaming again with Lancaster for "The Crimson Pirate"(1952)

classicsoncall Boy, Yvonne De Carlo really managed to pull it off here. For the entire picture you believe Anna Dundee is in love with Burt Lancaster's character Steve Thompson. Then, when Steve shows up at Palos Verdes, she throws him over in favor of the stolen loot from the Bliss Company payroll heist. What a low down, dirty, double dealing dame.But then again, that's what cool film noir is all about. Like many viewers who only ever saw De Carlo as Lily Munster, this was an eye opener. She looked sultry and seductive and had a way of wrapping Steve right around her little finger, even with gangster Steve Dundee (Dan Duryea) in the same room. Told in limited flashback style, the picture catches the viewer up to real time about half way through, at which point Steve makes his out of left field proposal to play inside man on the armored truck heist. Man, this guy was so blinded by love/lust he couldn't get out of his own way.You know, I couldn't get over the conversation between a couple of Herton security guards when they began discussing their wives' shopping habits. I realize it's all relative, but could it really have broken the guy's budget to buy the soap powder for forty three cents instead of thirty seven at the Great Western? Or the couple cans of tomato juice for a quarter and save another six cents there? Boy, it really makes you think how things were, going back a half dozen decades.This one ought to appeal to fans of film noir and gangster flicks, but you will have to pay attention. The business with the hood at the hospital looking in on Steve was a clever hook. For a while I couldn't figure why he would have been there on the pretext that his wife had an accident, but heck, lying would have been part of his repertoire. Same thing with Anna having the money from the hold-up, but during the planning, all the participants agreed that she would pay off the split with Steve. That's probably the one concession you have to make to suspending disbelief; knowing Slim Dundee, why would he agree to that knowing his wife's past with Steve.Keep a sharp eye out during the scene with the rhumba band. Dancing with Anna is a sharply dressed Latin looking guy who turns out to be Tony Curtis. Don't blink or you'll miss it.

bob the moo This film plays out in a rather ordinary tone and it does so to the point that you may not see everything that you would otherwise see. What I mean by this is that the characters are the characters and they are allowed to be this way without the tone and atmosphere of the film adding to them or overegging the cake. This is not to say I do not enjoy such atypical noir shadings, but here the scenes are lit and the things that are usually added to by lighting, music and captured looks are within the characters in a way I found enjoyable.Lancaster we presume will be a tough guy and a smart one but quickly we learn that he is pining for his ex-wife even though it doesn't make sense for him to try and get mixed up in it again. She, on the other hand, is interested in him but soon you start to suspect that she isn't so much in love with him so much as just looking for the best options for herself – although this is never fully clear. De Carlo plays this pretty well, she never vamps it up but rather she plays it fairly evenly and produces an engaging female lead while Lancaster manages to be smart and tough generally, but lose those qualities when interacting with De Carlo – which is what his character needed to happen. The supporting cast is OK but the film really moves best when focusing on these two. The delivery is matter of fact and this worked for what it was.Generally Criss Cross is a pretty strong film. It has scope for a tougher edge and more grit in the characters, but the focal relationship is good with the naivety and the selfishness well played by both leads. Not the most obviously dark film, but it is there if you let the performances deliver it.

Krys P This movie is certainly a very interesting movie. For one thing you don't know what's going to happen next because the characters are in a situation that can lead to a very nice and wealthy life, or death. The main male character in the movie came back home to see his family and he found the woman he loved and fell in love with her again. However, she was not for his to have because another man, who was a very dangerous man, had his hold on her. This only made him want her more and after finding out she was being abused he was angry and wanted her to come away with him. However the dangerous man has connections so in order for her to be free, the main lead character in the movie comes up with a plan to get close before having the chance to run off with him.There was only one way in which this movie could end, especially since the leading female only wanted the money and not really the love that the leading male character offered. Although this movie was interesting, if you do not like sad endings I would not recommend it to you.