X
- 1981
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 2 h 2 m
- 1981
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 2 h 2 m
Summary The sensuous wife of a lunch wagon proprietor and a rootless drifter begin a sordidly steamy affair and conspire to murder her Greek husband.
Directed By: Bob Rafelson
Written By: David Mamet, James M. Cain
- 1981
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 2 h 2 m
- 1981
- R
- Paramount Pictures
- 2 h 2 m
The Postman Always Rings Twice
61
7.7
Where to Watch
Summary The sensuous wife of a lunch wagon proprietor and a rootless drifter begin a sordidly steamy affair and conspire to murder her Greek husband.
Directed By: Bob Rafelson
Written By: David Mamet, James M. Cain
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
61
57% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
43% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
61
57% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
43% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
[Lange's] allure is staggering. If you've never seen her in this film - if you've never seen the young Jessica Lange, except in "Tootsie" - prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor.
With a unity of mood, and some expert supporting performances, notably by John Colicos and Michael Lerner, it has the feel of tinny authenticity. [20 March 1981, p.17]
Both leads excel at showing a true feeling (be it love or lust) but both covered in the guilty angst that one will betray the other. Edge of your seat stuff.
An absolutely superb mounting of a hollow and disappointing production. It shows a technical mastery of filmmaking, and we are dazzled by the performances, the atmosphere, the mood of mounting violence. But by the second hour of the film we've lost our bearings: What is this movie saying about its characters? What does it feel and believe about them? Why was it necessary to tell their stories?
The film does, however, feature revealing performances from its leads, authentic production design, and atmospheric photography by Sven Nykvist.
If they merely wanted to retell a good tale, they've failed. The first half of "Postman" succeeds in building up an atmosphere of dread and throttled desire as Nicholson and Lange circle their prey (John Colicos). But after the dramatic turnarounds of the trial, the film goes slack. Just when Mamet's script should be tightening the screws, it grows diffuse, introducing unnecessary characters while unaccountably lopping off Cain's original ending, without which the title is inexplicable. Rafelson's increasingly plodding, stagy direction doesn't help: he emphasizes the mechanics of Cain's plot when it needs to be disguised. [23 March 1981, p.81]
The impulsiveness and raw flamboyance that make the book exciting are missing, and the cool, elegant visuals outclass the characters right from the start.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 User Ratings
7.7
80% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
10% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
10% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 User Ratings
7.7
80% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
10% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
10% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Awards
Bambi Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Fotogramas de Plata
• 1 Nomination
Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD) Awards
• 1 Nomination
