Review by Choice Review
This fine collection of essays begins with a helpful preface that explores the range of films that fall into the category of "neo-noir," from Get Carter (1971) to The Lookout (2007). Bould, Glitre, and Tuck (all, Univ. of the West of England, Bristol, UK) describe neo-noir as self-conscious of its generic location, as knowing the rules of its game. Topics of discussion include color in noir, sound in noir, British noir, Asian noir, and French noir. The book also includes an essay on the video game Max Payne and one devoted to the films of Sharon Stone. Readers will particularly appreciate the treatments of American films already well established in the neo-noir category: Taxi Driver, Body Heat, Angel Heart, Fight Club, Memento, and The Machinist. This collection joins The Philosophy of Neo-Noir, ed. by Mark Conard (2007), and James Naremore's More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts (CH, Apr'99, 36-4393) as invaluable resources on the subject. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. R. Ducharme emeritus, Mount Saint Mary's University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
