The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)

Truly Dreadful Film

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I've read comments from other reviewers that as the Thin Man series went on, the quality of the movies went down hill. Well you can't really tell by this, the fifth film in the line up, as this one had me fully engaged right from the start. Asta has a fair share of quality time, Myrna Loy adds a layer of 'I Love Lucy' to her character Nora Charles, and lo and behold, Nick (William Powell) runs the entire show on apple cider instead of booze. The venue is also a nice change of pace, as the Charles's head over to Nick's home town in Sycamore Springs for a restful vacation.As usual, there are a whole host of interesting characters on hand, as the inevitable happens and Nick is drawn into a murder case when someone is actually shot on the doorstep of his parents' home! Never before has wife Nora been so animated in her desire to have Nick get involved in a case, as this time it would demonstrate how clever he is to a father who had become disillusioned over his son's choice of profession. But you know, I didn't think it was very admirable the way Nick took his wife over a knee for that spanking - ouch! Can you just hear the wailing of the war on women folks if this was made today?! Here's a question - what's the shortest amount of screen time on record for a character in a movie? Holy smokes, Ralph Brooke, the actor who portrayed Peter Berton might have been visible for about a minute before he got shot! I fully expected that the actor remained uncredited but he's right there in the cast line up. I hope he fared better in his other movie appearances.Here's what I have to admit though. Whenever Nick Charles goes into one of his illuminating explanations revealing the identity of the killer, I just about completely zone out. I suppose I could back track and try to follow the details here but ultimately it doesn't make too much difference. At least this one had that neat back story with the tampered paintings and the espionage angle going for it. What I was really hoping for though was for Asta to come along and take a whizz on the collie in the windmill painting.

This was the last of the Thin Man movies for me. I wasn't expecting much simply because it was so late in the series......but, the movie delivered. Nick stayed off the sauce; however, instead of leaving a hole in the movie, it added comedy throughout. There was a different feel to this movie...but, Nick Charles had to come from SOMEWHERE.The part of Nick's father is well-done. I would imagine that there is a temptation to make the character an exaggeration, but the part is played with some subtlety.No baby in this one. If you can only see five minutes of this movie, go to the Story of Stinky Davis, as told by Nora Charles. It is a riot...

If a Thin Man movie is on, it's always watchable. What gets me is that in movies these days if the plot runs thin, the director warms up some pixels and amps up the special effects.Back in the day, when the plot got thin, there weren't a lot of optical effects, so the director leaned on the writer and actors and got great dialogue and snappy acting.This Thin Man has a plot as thin as a 1940's projection screen. As long as Nick, Nora, and Asta, and the supporting cast is up for the fun and mayhem, though, plot doesn't seem to matter so much.I thought the last reel dragged on in comparison to the rest of the film, but there are some great scenes and snappy jokes throughout the film.And where do sailors learn to dance like that?!?

The Thin Man goes home, is probably the most panned of the Nick and Nora series, but for some reason I find it the most enjoyable. I kind of think of this as a Sherlock Holmes meets Leave it to Beaver. A lot more gritty undercurrent in this one, but also more of a real life feel to it as well. Most of the other films make me feel like I'm watching a high society gala, whereas this film gives me a chance to see the down to earthness of Nick and Nora. They may be rich beyond compare, but they don't come across as snotty or bitchy. They're wholesome and kind. Fun and vibrant. These are the uptight aristocrats so common in British film and novel, nor are they the arrogant and completely oblivious nouveau rich of Hollywood. See Paris Hilton, and a bevy of other born into wealth starlets who have an air of entitlement about them, never having had to earn for themselves. They come across as completely shallow and callous, whereas the Nick and Nora characters are just schleps with money. They are cultured, but not afraid to be amongst the people. With all the wealth they have, they can spend their vacation in a ritzy hotel, but would rather stay in Nick's childhood home, and visit with his old school chums. The mystery itself isn't bad either. Although improbable, it does maintain an air of believability. Some great character actors round out the cast to really make this the most complete of the thin man films.