Dispatches From Noir

Once upon a time, I dreamed of being an author. I thought I would write a great noir novel. That never happened, but I still admire the spare, descriptive prose and retro sensibilities of the hard-boiled detective.

I also see people every day. Sometimes I can't help but wonder what Chandler, Hammett, Leonard, Cain or even Fleming might have to say about them. So I take a stab at it. Here is the rogue's gallery of the novels and stories I never wrote. Meet the villains, bystanders, toughs and low-lifes that would populate them.

This is also a journal of my own journeys through the wonderful world of hardboiled/noir crime fiction. I review books and movies, and I’m happy to answer crime fiction questions and give recommendations. I'm also starting to think I might just be able to write some fiction of my own. I don't know how that will turn out. I do know that anything that appears on this page is just a dispatch from the great land of Noir.

Tweet Tweet CFL Reviews Q&A Any Questions? Let's See What Ya Got

Posted on Wednesday, 30 May 2012

fedorahatcat-deactivated2013011 asked: Hello there. I see you've reviewed few European noirish movies so I wonder if you've seen the Belgian movie "Loft" (2008). To my mind the flick is much better than the hyped "Girl with the dragon tattoo".

I have not seen this, but I will try to do so. Euro-noir is hot right now, but I feel the term “noir” is thrown around with little regard to its substantive meaning. I have recommended Jens Lapidus’ Snabba Cash film, and the English translation of his novel, Easy Money (which I reviewed for Crime Fiction Lover).

I’m not sure how noirish or hardboiled The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is. I’ve gone back and forth in my own head regarding whether it should be classified in the hardboiled tradition (remember, noir is an offshoot of hardboiled, rather than the other way around) or not.

I haven’t seen Loft, but what I’ve read about it sounds very good. So I will put that on the to-watch list. I’ve also heard good things about Headhunters, based on a Jo Nesbo novel.

What say you, tumblchums? Any Euro-noir recommendations (book or film)? And should Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy be classified as noir or hardboiled? I’m anxious to hear your opinions. This would also be a good time to point out that Dispatches From Noir now utilizes Disqus, so feel free to comment and debate to your heart’s content.

3 notes

dlpvmag likes this
girlvswhale likes this
underpsychicterror likes this
yggdrasilium said: Well, when you’re talking about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I feel it is critical to consider which adaptation you’re talking about. Are you talking about 2009 or 2011. And then there’s the book itself.
dispatchesfromnoir posted this