Laura (1944)
8/10
In this film noir drama, a Manhattan police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of a beautiful, well liked, successful, socialite, Laura Hunt (Dana Andrews), by interviewing her arrogant, older, controlling mentor, columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb) and the man Waldo despises, Laura's playboy fiancee Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price).
Rather than being a hard boiled film noir crime picture, it's served sunny-side-up as a deep drama of depthful unique characters whose own interests and motivations are peeled away like onions, slow cooking a dish you're invested in.
However it's not without its deficits. We know Waldo well, but emotions are dry when it comes to the starch-shirted feelings of Detective McPherson and charitable Laura. The movie plays more a well-told mystery than a thriller, with suspense of intention, not of action.
Laura (1944) won the Oscar for Best Black-and-White Cinematography for Joseph LaShelle, Nominated Best Director for Otto Preminger, and Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Clifton Webb.