Good concept, poorly executed.

Best movie of this year hands down!

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, with a screenplay by Oscar Millard and Frank Nugent that was based on a Chester Erskine story, this slightly above average crime drama film-noir features Robert Mitchum as working class Frank Jessup and Jean Simmons (in the title role) as Diane Tremayne, a seemingly sweet 'debutante' daddy's girl who's used to getting what she wants.After her mother was killed in Lorraine, France during a World War II bombing, Diane's novelist father Charles (Herbert Marshall) remarried the wealthy Catherine (Barbara O'Neil); they moved to the States where he stopped writing, becoming a henpecked husband dependent on her money. Some nine years later, Diane now feels neglected by her father and controlled by her step-mother, a situation she's compelled to change by using Mitchum's character.The film opens with ambulance drivers Jessup and Bill Crompton (Kenneth Tobey) being called to the Tremayne estate where it's suspected that Catherine has just tried to commit suicide with her fireplace's gas, despite the fact that she claims someone's tried to murder her. While leaving the residence, Frank meets Diane, who's playing the piano and acting forlorn, even hysterical. She later follows him to a restaurant where she charms him into cancelling his date with his steady girlfriend Mary Wilton (Mona Freeman) and the two enjoy an evening of dining and dancing. Diane learns that Frank is a former race-car driver and is working odd jobs while trying to save enough to open his own garage. The next day, Diane invites Mary to lunch and tells her that she wants to help them by giving Frank $1,000 for his future plans. Mary sees through Diane's manipulation and is later angry with Frank for lying to her about the previous evening. Still, Diane convinces Catherine, a notoriously poor driver, into hiring Frank as their family's chauffeur.But after some time living over the garage and witnessing Diane's ways, even dim-witted Frank sees that something's not right and suspects he's being used by her as part of a larger scheme. However, she's able to convince him to stay a little longer, to contemplate taking her away with him. Shortly thereafter, she executes her plan, successfully killing her step-mother Catherine when her car accelerates in reverse off an embankment. Unfortunately, she'd also accidentally killed her father in the process, which causes her to have a mental breakdown. Since Diane's suitcase was found in Frank's room, both are accused of murder. A clever defense attorney, Fred Barrett (Leon Ames), convinces Diane not to confess to the crime, that Frank too would be incarcerated. He also persuades Frank to marry Diane to explain the suitcase as part of their planned elopement. He then successfully battles District Attorney Judson (Jim Backus) in the trial to prove reasonable doubt exists, that a cotter pin could have failed, such that the rendered verdict is "not guilty".Diane then learns that her husband Frank doesn't want her; he wants to try to go back to Mary, but learns that she is engaged to Bill. Meanwhile, Diane insists that lawyer Barrett record her confession of guilt, but he informs her that, due to double-jeopardy, she can't be convicted of the crime. She returns home feeling there's no reason to live, but is then excited to see that Frank is there too. However, he is packing and planning to head to Mexico to get away from her. She insists on taking him to the bus station and he reluctantly agrees. She has champagne in the car and asks him to pour them one last drink. She starts the car forward causing him to spill it, he snaps at her and then she snaps - she throws the car in reverse and jams on the accelerator, hurling them backwards off the same embankment and killing them both, as the story ends.

ANGEL FACE is a dark and brooding film noir mystery featuring a likable, laconic Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons as the object of his love/nemesis. The story begins with paramedic Mitchum showing up as a result of a case of suspected gas poisoning, but before long he soon begins to fall in love with the victim's stepdaughter, who rekindles his love of fast cars.What follows is a brooding slow-burner of a film with murky photography and even murkier character intentions. Mitchum essentially plays the viewer's role, a newcomer to the almost Gothic mysteries surrounding this rich household, while Simmons bags a typically complex role and one she ably succeeds with. Otto Preminger's direction brings out the atmosphere of the tale while the slow-building suspense is punctuated by outbursts of sudden violence which shock the viewer to the core.

I must dissent a bit here. While I don't think this is a bad film, to me there's just something not quite right about it.First off, about the cast. Robert Mitchum is very good here as the target of Jean Simmons' affections. Although, maybe this is what is bothering me. In the role, Mitchum's character is a pretty street-smart guy. Would he really fall for Simmons' scheming? Somehow I don't think so.Jean Simmons is interesting here. She's nuts, obsessing about killing her stepmother, but doesn't overplay the part...as is often done in this type of plot. In fact, it takes you awhile to see where she is going.The parents get a bum steer here in terms of the story. Despite being the target of Jean Simmon's hate, the mother (Diane Tremayne) gets little screen time. Likewise, the venerable Herbert Marshall (as father) gets little screen time, and has one good scene (coincidentally, I watched Marshall's appearance on "What's My Line?" after viewing this film (he appeared in 1954, and in one of his answers he alluded to having reached that point in life where he had become a character actor, rather than the star).Leon Ames, pretty much always a character actor, continues as that here as the defense attorney, although he is outdone by Jim Backus playing the prosecutor. The courtroom scenes here have been given high marks, and I tend to agree. Morgan Farley has an interesting little part as a juror.As to the story, it's a good one, although in spots -- particularly early on -- it hardly has the sophistication of Preminger's "Laura", "Stalag 17", or even "The River Of No Return". Worth watching, but it won't find its way onto my DVD shelf.

In California, the ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) and his partner head to a mansion in Beverly Hills to assist the millionaire Mrs. Catherine Tremayne (Barbara O'Neil) that was poisoned with gas, but her doctor had already medicated her. When Frank is leaving the house, he meets Catherine's twenty year-old stepdaughter Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons) that follows him in her Jaguar. After-hours, they go to a restaurant and Frank finds an excuse to his girlfriend Mary Wilton (Mona Freeman) to not visit her and he dates Diane and they go to a night-club. Diane has a crush on Frank and on the next morning, she meets Mary and tells to her what Frank and she did. Frank and Mary are saving money to open a garage since he is an efficient mechanic. Diane convinces Frank to be better paid working as a chauffeur for her family. Soon Frank learns that Diane hates her stepmother and he decides to quit his job. But Diane seduces him and he stay with the Tremayne family. When Mr. and Mrs. Tremayne have a fatal car accident, Diane and Frank become the prime suspect of the police and they go to court charged of murder. Now their only chance is the strategy of the efficient defense attorney Fred Barrett (Leon Ames)."Angel Face" is among the best film-noir I have seen, with a perfect female fatale, amoral story and dark conclusion. Jean Simmons is impressive, with Oedipus complex and her angel face that manipulates Frank and even her stepmother. The melancholic music score completes this great movie. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Alma em Pânico" ("Soul in Panic")