What makes it different from others?

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Roger Corman, now past the age of 90, is to be congratulated for making movies on a shoestring. The guy was a master, and an educated one too -- engineering from Stanford. And an engaging actor too in small parts.That's not to say the movies he made were good. The Poe stories weren't Poe stories, just lurid tales in gaudy color with Vincent Price's mellifluous voice haunting the sound tracks.Corman joined the parade that was turning out gangster "biographies" around 1960. This one is not as good as Rod Steiger's "Capone" but no worse that Mickey Rooney as Baby Face Nelson.It's routine in every detail. The acting is pedestrian when it's not plain bad -- as in Susan Cabot's or Frank DeKova as an alcoholic gas station owner. Bronson was not yet the irresistible force for justice that he was to become, so he's still in his sinister mode -- sneering and insulting everyone.These insults are unexplainable. Everyone insults everyone else or at least teases them. Bronson never smiles except when Morey Amsterdam as a homosexual is humiliated. He's a pustule ready to pop. Yet his colleagues seem to enjoy taunting him, especially about his fear of death, even though they must KNOW he's going to deck them for it.It would have been nice if the dialog were in any way original but it lacks sparkle. There isn't a memorable line in the entire movie. And it would have been so easy -- "Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Machine Gun Kelly?" "I wish you was a wishin' well so's I could tie a bucket to ya and sink ya." (Huh?) If Kelly really were like this, he must have been an unpleasant man.

The movie is so so but the acting of Charles Bronson shines even in this early career low budget film.The movie is made by American International Pictures that produced many low budget movies of the '50s with varying qualities. One thing American International Pictures did right was choosing their actors, and many future greats had their start with their movies. Charles Bronson was on the verge of breaking big with this movie. He would soon become a recognizable face with TV series "Man with the Camera". His rise to stardom was definitely not a fluke as you can see in this movie. He plays a mean character, but he has charisma that's not of a rough gangster without principles.The production of the movie is woefully basic, but actors are good, and the way the scene changes is very different from the movies made today, which gives the feeling of nostalgia. Maybe nostalgia is not misplaced as you see many faces that played supporting roles in many of the '60s and '70s movies. Not a great movie, but the presence of Charles Bronson makes this movie worth watching.

This clearly is a budget movie yet it's quite professional, does entertain and interest. The interest is provided not so much by the action sequences which are fairly weak but by the characters - underworld but unlovely, unheroic and flawed. The kind of movie that would not make stars of its cast. Bronson does quite well - as well as he ever did - in the lead role. The rest of the cast is up to the job notably Fandango who clearly had star quality. The central idea that he was afraid of signs of death was rather crudely handled. Bronson was Bronson - a undoubted tough immobile face - not one to register fright or anxiety. Other movies would have had music, close ups and sharp editing to heighten the effect.For me the irksome thing was the visual aspect - cheap restricted interiors with flat lighting (a single general lighting set-up simply ensuring every part of the set was lit ie the shots were not preplanned and lit accordingly. Consequently there is little contrast and no deep shadows - as to be seen on live TV shows). Even the outdoor scene especially "the flats" were curiously nearly all mid grey and matt coloured. Also the cinematography - there are no memorable images. Well lit and shot movies provide images which can stand on their own as quality photographs.Worth comparing with the much superior "Asphalt Jungle".

A unique crime story -- a small-time thief (Bronson) is turned into a legend by his tough-as-nails moll (Cabot). "Machine Gun" robs a chain of banks and finally turns his ambitions to kidnapping -- hounded all the way by a compulsive fear of death. The photography by Crosby is elegant, the acting of the lead pair and the supporting cast are all pretty much dead-on. A tight, efficient telling of a memorable tale, peopled with all sorts of interesting characters (the gas station owner/accomplice who keeps a deadly menagerie behind the garage, Cabot's mom who keeps telling Kelly what a disappointment he is because he hasn't broken into the "big time", etc.). Interestingly, this film takes the gangster genre beyond film noir (finally, after 3 decades) by making his characters not only self-loathing but WORTHY of self-loathing!One of Corman's very best films as a director.