The novel by Anderson must not be very interesting because two noted directors have made average movies out of it: Nicholas Ray's "They Live by Night" in 1948 and this Altman version. At least Ray had the advantage of brevity; Altman's film moves very slowly and outstays its welcome. Carradine and Duvall don't click as well as Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell did in the earlier version. However, the supporting performances are better in the later film, including Fletcher in her film debut. This use of the radio as a commentary on the action is overdone, particularly in the scene where "Romeo and Juliet" plays on the radio while Carradine and Duvall are making out.
Review of Thieves Like Us
