Night Moves (1975)

Seen: On our big screen/projector set-up, streamed on netflix instant.

Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman) is your standard hard-boiled detective, caught up in finding the missing daughter of a washed-up actress. His search leads him from an action movie set in LA to a seaside home in Florida, but even after finding the girl he realizes the real mystery runs much deeper. His crime-solving obsession distances his wife, whom he discovers is having an affair, but he can't let go until he gets to the bottom of things.

With a story that starts off as one thing but then totally derails to be about a bigger, unexpected thing, Night Moves is a smart mystery with a strong cast and satirical edge. Hackman is serious and determined, with awful shit constantly befalling him because that is what happens when you're a detective (so I've learned from the movies). I also dug Paula, a straight-talking, well-tanned lady played by Jennifer Warren. But the best thing about the cast is seeing some young people who later became pretty famous, like James Woods and Melanie Griffith! She totally shows her boobs too, like a lot, and maybe she was only 16? Anyway. Nudity.

While I appreciated how the story shifted about two thirds of the way through and the complexities of Harry's case deepened, it did mean that the middle of the film dragged as he hangs out in Florida with a whiny teenager and there isn't really anything moving forward. Still, the close attention to character and undercurrent of Hollywood indecencies, plus an exciting climax at sea, make Night Moves an enjoyable noir-esque mystery that showcases Hackman's charisma and fortitude.

4/5

Pair This Movie With: Another 70s private detective noir I dig is The Long Goodbye and that would be a nice double feature. The movie this most reminded me of was Harper, another good pairing.