Liam Neeson is ‘Marlowe’
Category: Television and Streaming
Raymond Chandler’s no-nonsense private investigator Philip Marlowe was introduced to the public in 1939 and has ranked among the most popular detectives in American history, alongside Sam Spade and others. Over the years a number of actors have portrayed Marlowe on screen and on the radio: Humphrey Bogart, George Montgomery, Elliott Gould, Van Heflin, Robert Mitchum, and more. Philip Carey even played the PI on a short-lived TV series from 1959-1960. Now Liam Neeson steps into the gumshoe’s shoes in the film aptly titled Marlowe.
The story takes place in 1930s Bay City, California with the Hollywood industry as a backdrop. Marlowe is hired by sophisticated heiress Clare Cavendish (Diane Kruger) to find her lover who disappeared. Soon the PI discovers the lover, Nico Peterson (Francois Arnaud), a cad and womanizer, had been killed in a hit and run. Case closed. But it wasn’t case closed when Clare discloses she saw the man in Mexico not long ago.
As Marlowe attempts to get to the bottom of this strange situation and informs his friends in the police department that the supposed dead man is not the real Nico Peterson, things get even stranger. Marlowe has an interesting conversation with Clare’s mother Dorothy Quincannon (Jessica Lange) who is a famous movie star. She brings out some information that leads Marlowe on a different direction and the PI discovers he is onto a bigger case than simply a missing person.
This 2022 movie is dark and involves smuggling, drugs and other illicit activities. Neeson plays Marlowe with a flair of low-key enthusiasm combined with inner interest and when he discovers he is in the middle of a big crime syndicate, his life is on the line. But Marlowe is not deterred. He knows he is getting close to cracking the syndicate and outing some famous people in the process.
Even though he is in danger and in the middle of a big case, Philip Marlowe is cool, calm, and collected at every turn. He has what could be described as detached attachment to the case. He is soft spoken and laid back. This is the perfect vehicle for Neeson who portrays the famous detective in a way that weaves together his bravery, intelligence, and coolness.
This is a dark story bringing together Hollywood, drugs, and the underworld. It is now streaming on MGM+.
Marlowe is rated R for language, violent content, some sexual material, and brief drug use. It’s for adults only.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.