REVIEW: Two Side of the Same Coin – The Brasher Doublon & Time to Kill

With these reviews, I am trying to write something substantial, with at least more than 300 words or something like that, but with this one, I honestly don’t have much to say. The movie is based on Raymond Chandler’s third novel, where now our favorite private detective, Philip Marlowe, will find himself entangled in new dangers, this time not for a missing person but for a precious coin.

George Montgomery is the next to step into Marlowe’s shoes, and what can I say? He does a nice job. You can see some of the character’s trademark sarcasm and wit, but it lacks the magnetism of the character that actors like Bogart or Mitchum brought in. His line delivery was also a little dry. The film also lacks a lot of the great quips. The character mostly plays out like just another run-of-the-mill detective.

And that’s where the problem lies for me with this movie: the story and the film in general are very generic. There is nothing that stands out. The characters are all forgettable. There’s no intrigue, thrills or great humor. No memory lines or scenes. Nancy Guild does a decent job as the timid and naive secretary, and there is a moment when the film tries to create tension and suggest that something bad might happen, but due to its poor execution, any suspense fades away just as it appeared. The chemistry between them was also nonexistent.

All in all, just like the novel, The Brasheer Doublon left me cold. The premise already, like I said, wasn’t that exciting, and the script here failed to fix this.

Time to Kill

This is what I am talking about!

While The Brasheer Doublon was a total disappointment, Time to Kill feels like a breath of fresh air. Released five years earlier, this version is exciting and fun, with a delightful turn by Lloyd Nolan as Michael Shayne, a detective whose personality is somewhat similar to that of Marlowe, though less of a wisecrack and more quippy, jovial and, dare I say, charming. The dynamic among the entire cast is great; everyone manages to stand out and put in their grain of salt.

The story is largely the same with a few minor changes, mostly skipping over a lot of the twists and turns, opting instead to get straight to the point. The pacing is also much better. I don’t know if it’s because instead of going for something more in the style of film noir, crime, or detective stories, Time to Kill veers more into the comedy, which works wonderfully with the book’s silly premise.

All in all, I totally recommend it if you are in search of a fun detective movie.