The Long Goodbye

The basic plot is from Chandler's novel, but the film is more a parody of Chandler's Private Eye than a faithful retelling. Gould plays Marlowe as a bumbling, stumbling, rip-van-winkle - good as bumbler/cynic, he's less good at cracking-wise or being serious.. The plot is threadbare and confusing, and Altman emphasizes the atmosphere and characters. The supporting characters are a mixed lot. Hayden steals the movie as the suicidal, drunken author - while Van Pallandt is excellent as his wife. Gibson, and Rydell are unconvincing. The cinematography is very good.

Summary: The lackluster story, meandering pace, and Gould's limited acting skills sink a movie with promise. Good scenes alternate with bad. Not recommended for Raymond Chandler fans. Still some memorable scenes: Hayden and Gould talking on the Beach, the opening Cat food scene, and the ending. Rating **1/2

2nd Viewing Post Script:  A re-watch confirms my previous opinion. Gibson, for example, is simply awful as the Doctor.  The man can't act.  As for Rydell, he's borderline adequate, any decent character actor would've had 10 times the impact.  However, my main impression was the sluggish pace. Wow, this thing really drags, and we get far too much "padding".  There too many shots of people walking around, driving, eating, drinking, or engaging in meaningless small talk.   Its really too bad, because there are many good scenes, including:

- The Cat demanding to be Fed
- Driving Terry to Mexico
- The Killing
-Rescuing Hayden from the Sanitarium
- The Dog with Hayden's Kane
-Hayden and Gould talking at the beach