Console best movie i've ever seen.

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Scott LeBrun Art Carney is wonderful as an ageing private eye named Ira Wells. He's visited one night by his old ex-partner, Harry Regan (Howard Duff, in a regrettably brief cameo), who has already received a fatal gunshot wound. It turns out that Harry had recently taken the case of a stolen cat (really) owned by flaky hippie-type Margo Sterling (Lily Tomlin). Ira inherits the case, but finds out (naturally) that there's much more going on than just a purloined feline. Margo is no innocent and HAD gotten mixed up with some shady types."The Late Show" is writer / director Robert Bentons' ("Kramer vs. Kramer", "Places in the Heart") witty, appealing modern-noir ode to vintage crime fiction, in the tradition of Hammett and Chandler. His tale is definitely a twisty, complex one, but this can only be a good thing. It keeps viewers on their toes and eager to see how things will develop. Key to its success is its hero character. Ira may be over the hill, but he still has his wits about him. He does take some physical punishment at one point, but is able to give it right back when he gets an opportunity.The main hook in this case is the odd couple pairing of Carney and Tomlin. Her character & performance may affect how some people feel about the film, but there is no denying that she and Carney have some interesting chemistry. Margo is something of a chatterbox, and some people could find her annoying, but Tomlin remains fairly charming in the role. Carney and Tomlin receive excellent support from an entertainingly sleazy Bill Macy, the amusingly intimidating Eugene Roche and John Considine, and a strikingly sexy Joanna Cassidy whose character is nothing but trouble.Very nice L.A. location shooting, and pleasant music by Kenneth Wannberg also help to make this agreeable entertainment that is still somewhat overlooked 41 years later.Eight out of 10.

runamokprods I really like this sweet semi-comic homage to the great detective films. Art Carney is simply wonderful as a gumshoe now in his 60s, gaining weight and losing foot-speed, but with wits as sharp as ever, and wisdom gained by time. This is what one of Bogie's great detective characters probably would be like 30 years later. He's drawn into an absurdly complex crime situation, when a slightly wacko aging hippie wanna-be actress (played by Lily Tomlin) hires him to help find her lost cat. 'Some of the humor is a bit broad for the more serious themes underneath, and as much as I always love Tomlin, there were times she seemed to be flirting with caricature.But the almost-romantic chemistry between this supremely miss-matched pair is terrific and fun to watch. It doesn't add up to anything huge, but it's intelligent, fun well-executed entertainment for grown ups – something that's far too rare in the current cinema.

madmonkmcghee Wonderfully melancholy and entertaining take on the noir style, with a spot-on odd couple casting of Art Carney as an aging gumshoe and Lily Tomlin as a ditsy New Age dame, both looking for something and someone to give their empty lives real meaning. The plot is appropriately convoluted, as befits a Chandleresque mystery story, but as with most noirs a tight plot is not really what matters. Forget about who killed who and what for. It's all about the characters, and they're all memorable and played pitch- perfect. This movie could have gone badly wrong in so many ways, but director Benton knew what he was aiming for: a both funny and touching portrait of two lonely people, who even welcome murder and violence if it can get them out of the stifling rut their lives have become. Blending genres can be tricky, but here the suspense and comedy are equally balanced. Carney is effortlessly convincing as a man who would rather be gunned down than waste away in a hospital bed; it's almost as if he hopes to die on the job. Tomlin's character is gratingly annoying at times, but then she's supposed to be, otherwise she would have been merely cute and kooky. The supporting cast is equally excellent, all hitting the right notes. Those looking for belly laughs or nail-biting suspense will find this too mild for their tastes. Anyone interested in a movie that is both touching, exciting and entertaining should seek out this little gem.

dtidball The Late Show is one of the most underrated films of all time. It's somewhat convoluted detective plot has raised comparisons to Chinatown, which is both unfair and unfortunate. This is a film that stands out on its own.The acting is generally very good, and the performances by the leads are particularly strong. Dialogue which might have seemed forced or corny with less assured actors is believable and often funny here. Art Carney and Lily Tomlin are fun to watch as a bickering detective duo brought together as much by mutual loneliness as by anything the plot throws at them. Both are able to keep their characters interesting without overdoing it. It would have been especially easy for Ms. Tomlin to go over the top with her depiction of the rather flighty Margo, but she manages to balance her character's peculiarities and make it look effortless.Robert Benton received an academy award nomination for his screenplay, but he really deserved more recognition for directing a film in which he gets the mood just right, and trusts his cast to do their jobs well. This was no mean feat for a work that needs to be film noir with some comic timing.I saw this film when it first came out nearly 30 years ago, and then watched it again recently. At a time when so many films rely on computer generated images, and plots that seem dreamed up by marketing departments, it was refreshing to rediscover a film that relies on strong direction, and outstanding acting.