96-minute egg

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
3 Stars
Written by Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets
Starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis

One of the most hard-boiled scripts I've ever seen produced. Lots of highly-stylized street-smart lingo that is fascinating, if you're into that kind of thing. Elements of noir in both cinematography, story, and attitude, but not quite the genuine article. Not that it falls short; I like it better than most noir films I've watched. The reason this doesn't get 4 stars though, is that, like real noir or modern-day Tarantino, it's mostly style with no emotional substance.