This is the third feature length film I've seen by director Carol Reed. I chose to watch this film based on previous good ratings I've given other films by this director and to better my favorite directors by algorithm listing.
The Fallen Idol
They way children are portrayed on film can be pretty divisive for me regarding how well I like a film. I'm not too keen on precocious children in films. But I've said this million times before. I don't know why I have to keep mentioning it any time I talk about a film with a major child character in it. But apparently I do.
Anyways, the kid in this film is not especially precocious. And after also seeing and enjoying Oliver! I think I can trust Carol Reed to get a decent performance out of a child.
The kid in this is the most likeable character of the story. The rest of them are adulterers, liars, and psychopaths. By the end, the lying seems to sort of be chastised, but not necessarily the adultery. Nonetheless, it's paced well enough with some good suspense.
Carol Reed:
Total feature length films seen: 3
Previous average film score: 9
New average film score: 8.6667
Rating: 8/10