Here's another one where I expected something completely different. I thought a story about someone searching for a priceless statue would be more of an adventure. I guess Humphrey Bogart's outfit on the movie poster gave me too much of an Indianna Jones vibe. Turns out, this was actually a mystery--film noir to be more specific, but a real fun one at that.

It did hit on every noir cliche, but I suppose this is the movie that was best at it. I actually was really intrigued by the story, and I liked the falcon being at the center of the murder mystery.

Another thing I've noticed about the AFI flicks so far: they all have really good endings. No, Im not getting spoilery, but so far most of these films have wrapped up very nicely with conclusions that I absolutely agree with. This was another one of those.

Should also point out that this was my first introduction to the illustrious Humphrey Bogart. I didnt even know it was him, til halfway through the movie I was so impressed that I couldnt wait to IMDB him. And suddenly his reputation made sense. He was suave yet sharp and slick and smart. He delivered his brilliant one liners with ease, and he just has this breathtaking confidence about him. We'll be seeing more of him this fall. I think he's got another 3 on the list, including, of course, Casablanca.

Not really much else to say about this one. It was pretty \m/ close to flawless.