Purely Joyful Movie!

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Visited by a wounded former cellmate in the middle of the night, a reformed criminal finds himself pestered by both the police and his other ex-con associates after the wounded man dies in his apartment in this downbeat crime drama. Simple as this set-up might sound, it actually pivots around a rather complex dynamic as the protagonist, played by Gene Nelson, finds in himself truly in a bind as neither the cynical detective investigating him, nor his former cellmates, believe that he has actually reformed, and nothing that he can say or do can convince either side that he has really gone straight. Nelson is not particularly effective in the lead role and Phyllis Kirk is given little to do as his trusting wife, but 'Crime Wave' benefits enormously from a talented supporting cast including a young Charles Bronson as one of the ex-cons and an uncredited Timothy Carey as a slightly unhinged associate. The film's best performance comes from Sterling Hayden though as the misanthropic and condescending fast-talking cop who believes that nobody is capable of change - a mantra that is interesting to consider in light of his attempts to quit smoking by chewing on toothpicks instead. Hayden also gets a very memorable final shot and he is the one key reason to see the movie. As far as film noir entries go, this is hardly the most exciting and well-paced offering out there. The movie has, however, a lot of interest as it tries to question whether or not a person is actually capable of changing when everyone else believes that it is an impossibility. Once a crook, always a crook?

Crime Wave is an excellent example of film noir. Right from the opening shot it has noir written all over it from cinematographer Bert Glennon. And like most noir, you get straight into it – the film's opening holdup/murder scene at the gas station lets you know you're going to be in for a rough ride. Speaking of rough, Sterling Hayden was perfectly cast as the hard-headed, tough cop. The rest of the cast (which includes an eye-catching Charles Bronson) were pretty good as well. At times I thought Gene Nelson could show a bit more enthusiasm, but he did his job nonetheless.Scenes were filmed on location, which was impressive. As was the fact that the movie was filmed in 13 days. Wow. The story isn't fresh, but you get stuck in right away and are with Steve Lacey as he struggles to keep himself and his wife away from the criminals who drag him into their plans for a bank robbery. The dialogue is classic noir. It's a shame that this movie is another forgotten noir film. I mean, it's not The Maltese Falcon but it sure as hell is worth watching.Crime Wave is a minor film but one worth watching – it is surprisingly well shot, paced and interestingly cut. An excellent example of the low- budget crime dramas that Hollywood churned out during the 50's, I was a little underwhelmed by the ending. The cop just kind of has a complete switch of character when he tells the husband and wife duo that they are free and won't be bothered with. It seemed like a typical rushed ending that we get from a lot of B movie noirs.My Rating: 7/10Final Word: SatisfactoryFull Review: http://cineranter.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/movie-review- crime-wave/

A trio of men on the run are pulling off small robberies on their way to Mexico. When one goes wrong one of the men is badly wounded and the trio split up – with the injured man heading to the home of former-con Steve Lacey, who is trying to put his former life behind him. Although Lacey tries to have nothing to do with any of it, he finds himself trapped between the police and the wounded man's partners. With everyone looking to drag him down one way or the other, Steve gets drawn in deeper and deeper.This is a b-movie crime thriller which doesn't really stand up when compared to classics of the genre but still does enough to be of value as a simple tough filler. The plot doesn't allow for much more than basic characterization and motivation but the plot moves along well enough in a tough talking b-movie fashion. There isn't too much in the way of twisting and turning but the story did have good pace to it; I would have liked a bit more detail round the edges though because as it was the characters are mostly cardboard cutout of genre standards. This is fine when the plot has pace but too many dialogue scenes are a little bit stiff because the dialogue and those saying it are just by the numbers and lacking color.I liked the fact that the film contained scenes shot inside of LAPD buildings but at the same time I felt the cinematography was often too lacking in atmosphere and had a sharp documentary-look to it where the material and the genre would have been better served with some visual grit in there. It does have specific scenes that look good but particularly in the offices I didn't like the feel. The cast do a decent job of delivering to the genre, but it is hard not to feel like some of the calibre of Hayden isn't slumming it a little bit here. Nelson by contrast seems right at home and is perhaps only a little too bland. The villains are pretty decent in the shape of de Corsia and Bronson. Kirk is good in support as well but ultimately it is a genre film and they are not asked to do much beyond that.Par for the genre course then, does what you expect and then finishes – doesn't compare to the classics of the genre but isn't terrible by any means. Meat and potatoes stuff.

I love the Film-Noir genre - I really do, it's my favorite. But too many films get credit for inclusion in the category when it's not deserved or it does not fit. "Crime Wave" is little more than a melodrama and a tedious one at that.Most of the action takes place in the first 10 minutes and the last 5. 3 guys knock over a gas station and shoot the policeman who stops by to investigate the suspicious goings-on. Then the picture bogs down as a potboiler-talkathon for the next hour as the gang take Gene Nelson and his wife, Phyllis Kirk, as semi-hostages. Location shooting was sloppy as crowds of onlookers can be seen in the background in outdoor shots.Did not notice any Film-Noir touches except for Sterling Hayden - but he was a cop in this one. No dark, wet alleyways, no honky-tonk night clubs and no ambiguity of intent...and not a lot of action. The narrative itself is too simplistic for a film-noir. Now, take "Out Of The Past" - THAT was a noir film.As is, "Crime Wave" is an OK way to pass 75 minutes, but it will not be a rewarding 75 minutes.