It’s difficult to talk about this film without spoiling its juicy twists and turns, so I’ll keep this one short. Probably best known for Anatomy of a Murder and Exodus, Laura is one of director Otto Preminger’s early works and easily showcases the talent he has.
This neo-noir follows Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigating the death of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), a successful and, of course, beautiful young woman. The first half of the film follows McPherson as he investigates Laura’s social circle; a motley crew made up of her mentor (Clifton Webb), her fiance (a youthful Vincent Price) and aunt (Judith Anderson).
Shot gorgeously in black and white, Preminger captures an aura of suspense rather succinctly and keeps the viewer, as well as McPherson, very much on their toes. Preminger also deploys flashbacks, as well, to further build the enigma of Laura. Unfortunately, with the rest of the cast on their A-game, Laura’s Gene Tierney is the weak link. Although Tierny can act, she doesn’t have the range to quite capture the fascination and uniqueness that she is supposed to.
A sleek and stylish film noir with a lot to keep you entertained with in its short runtime. Andrews and Webb excel, with Tierney just keeping the facade alive well enough.
Score: 74/100