The main reason for wanting to see 'A Lawless Street' was for the cast. Randolph Scott is a Western genre icon, with the best of his Budd Boetticher work being especially notable, and Angela Lansbury has been a favourite of mine for years (ever since 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' and 'Murder She Wrote' has always been great escapism). Did like the idea for the story and have liked many Westerns, though there are also a fair share of not so good ones.
One of those not so good ones is unfortunately 'A Lawless Street'. It is not awful (it takes me a lot to call any film and such that these days) and has a few things that work quite well, like some of the cast, but overall it is very routine and tired feeling with nobody really being at their best and also tries to do too much. So it is a very uneven experience, frustratingly so somewhat, and in storytelling writing there are plenty of infinitely better Westerns out there than 'A Lawless Street'.
Visually, it looks fine with the photography being slick and stylish while not being basic or overblown. The scenery is beautiful too even if not the real thing. The music doesn't overbear or intrude.
While agreeing that Scott looks tired and is not at his best, his charisma and grit are still present. Ruth Donnelly also has spark and Don Megowan does a great job as the most interesting and most well rounded character.
Did however find most of the cast undistinguished in stock roles and Lansbury is uncharacteristically bland in a role that is underwritten. Didn't detect much chemistry between her and Scott, and it felt more like a father daughter relationship than a romance. So the film is a failure on the romance front. 'A Lawless Street' suffers also from a lot of things. It is very routine in action, with nothing new done with territory that is not really that original or that interesting, with a conclusion that is very soppy in a tacked on way and lacking in excitement or tension.
It is not a well written film, it doesn't sound natural and a lot of the dialogue is over explanatory and soapy. Too many of the characters are one dimensional, with only Megowan's having any form of complexity, and the direction is indicative of a director that didn't have much experience or interest. The pacing is pedestrian and too many elements are included with nowhere near enough done with any of them. Even the few twists provided feel tired.
Concluding, disappointing. 4/10.
One of those not so good ones is unfortunately 'A Lawless Street'. It is not awful (it takes me a lot to call any film and such that these days) and has a few things that work quite well, like some of the cast, but overall it is very routine and tired feeling with nobody really being at their best and also tries to do too much. So it is a very uneven experience, frustratingly so somewhat, and in storytelling writing there are plenty of infinitely better Westerns out there than 'A Lawless Street'.
Visually, it looks fine with the photography being slick and stylish while not being basic or overblown. The scenery is beautiful too even if not the real thing. The music doesn't overbear or intrude.
While agreeing that Scott looks tired and is not at his best, his charisma and grit are still present. Ruth Donnelly also has spark and Don Megowan does a great job as the most interesting and most well rounded character.
Did however find most of the cast undistinguished in stock roles and Lansbury is uncharacteristically bland in a role that is underwritten. Didn't detect much chemistry between her and Scott, and it felt more like a father daughter relationship than a romance. So the film is a failure on the romance front. 'A Lawless Street' suffers also from a lot of things. It is very routine in action, with nothing new done with territory that is not really that original or that interesting, with a conclusion that is very soppy in a tacked on way and lacking in excitement or tension.
It is not a well written film, it doesn't sound natural and a lot of the dialogue is over explanatory and soapy. Too many of the characters are one dimensional, with only Megowan's having any form of complexity, and the direction is indicative of a director that didn't have much experience or interest. The pacing is pedestrian and too many elements are included with nowhere near enough done with any of them. Even the few twists provided feel tired.
Concluding, disappointing. 4/10.