By the mid 1970's film noire was enjoying something of a resurgence and this is a fine example of why. Gene Hackman, in yet another remarkable acting performance, is lost in a bad marriage to a philandering wife, mired in a miserable existence as a failed pro football player. He takes a job searching for the missing daughter (played impeccably well by Melanie Griffith in her debut) of a faded Hollywood actress to try and escape his predicament. Dark steamy nights in the Florida everglades, long tedious days in Los Angeles sparking wanderlust. No other film has ever captured the sheer sensation of inner panic at the realization of how easily any of us can get lost in this crazy world and the ensuing darkness that accompanies the acceptance of the possibility that maybe nobody is even looking for us.

Superb film-noir from the 70's with impeccably shot steamy night Florida scenes. It has an old-fashioned premise and old-fashioned feel but also frankness of the 70's. The plot is satisfyingly complex and intricate and, like a great noir should do, it leaves some important answers open to a debate to contemplate about afterwards. Fine character study and thin philosophical undertone add to the weigh of the movie. Gene Hackman in the role of private eye is brilliant. While he loves his woman he also loves his job thus his marriage suffers because of it. Not to forget the moody soundtrack and young James Woods and Melanie Griffith in supporting roles.

Hackman as a private detective hired to bring a runaway teen home only to do that and find out she was murdered a short time afterward. As usual, Hackman delivers. Most questionable part was Susan Clark's haircut, glad styles have moved on.

This is a movie that gets better as it progresses. It is about loss upon loss. About the disintegration of human connection. This becomes more clear with revisits and reappraisals. No, it is not arthouse. I could argue it may have came out better in the hands of another filmmaker, and although Arthur Penn does a great job and he's a phonomenal director, it doesn't match two other noirs recently released around the same time: Chinatown and Farewell My Lovely. This movie needs some dusting off but that requires repeated viewings, which are luckily easy to give considering the movie's endless providing of entertainment.

A mediocre movie with two great characters - Moseby and Paula. Warren knocks it out of the park as a realistic and layered female character- shocking for the 70s for the most part. Then Hackman plays so genuinely nice, friendly and sincere your heart can't help but bleed for him. Unfortunately the plot doesn't live up to the depth of the characters. For a movie that dabbles in child molestation and potential kidnappings the answer to of the why for the twist is super left field and bland.

I love these ''private eye'' films.. Great movie!

I think this may be the best 70s noir, and I'm very aware it's up against some stiff competition (see Chinatown, The Long Goodbye, etc). I also think it may be Gene Hackman's finest hour, and yes, I'm also aware of Bonnie and Clyde and The Conversation. Arthur Penn, who directed Bonnie and Clyde, directs this film as well; it's a subtly devastating story, in which the mystery we follow is NOT the mystery actually being unfolded, but like our hero we learn this too late. Hackman plays Harry Moseby, a private eye in LA who clings to a certain old-fashioned concept of what a man, and specifically a private eye, should be. It's a concept that already seems passe in the decadent, cynical mid-70s LA the film depicts. At the start, Harry is hired by an aged starlet to find her teenage daughter. Hackman tracks the wayward girl all the way to Florida, and after an interlude there, he is finally able to bring her back home. However in the process he uncovers a much larger secret, and revealing that secret to the world may bring Harry the redemption he seems only half-aware that he seeks...or it may destroy him. This is a frustrating story to synopsize, because it is so reliant on the element of surprise to be effective (it is a mystery, after all), so the best advice I can give you is JUST GO WATCH IT.

This movie turned my trepidation toward the idea of Gene Hackman as a trampled p.i. into one of my favorite actors. Great entry point into neo-noir with a classic use of the seedy LA movie industry as a nod, but with gold still to be mined from it. Eight million stories y'all.

This is what happens when great filmmakers (Arthur Penn) get hold of an average script. The outcome generates a profoundly unique film that is great as it is absurdly-prude.A private detective takes a case from a old Hollywood actress. Her underage daughter has left home, she is later found with her step-father. The old detective (Gene Hackman) parents left him when he was a young boy, he grew up to become a private detective. He is so adhesive to his job, he even tracked down his long lost parents (this story is tolled in an incredible scene, that can not be duplicated into word). It would consciously stick with him forever- now each case he takes he doesn't give up until he solves it. Struggling for that success of solving a case, so strong his wife is having an affair another man. A great thriller/mystery, I may even say one of the best I have seen. Although I don't look out for the genre in the movies I watch, I may have a more particular eye for them now after this. A unexpected plot with an slight over the top twist but it did surprise me, with no idea were the film was going- what the conclusion or ending would be.Director Arthur Penn; I have only seen his other film Bonnie & Clyde; a film that is critically accepted as one of the greatest films in American cinema and another film I don't like- everyone's taste's are different but I hated that film, it bored me. This film could have easily been boring- but it wasn't, not once, it was close to be five stars rating for this blog, until I finished watch- it has an un-equally good ending to a amazing film.The director really, really like breasts, I mean to the point were every actress even underage (missing daughter) girl get's them shown. Not a damn thing wrong with it. Made the film even better in factAn excellent thriller, like I said one of the best. While watching I kept thinking the film is gonna be one of my favorite films, as well as a great thriller. But an ending is the single most important part to any story, although fulfilling- I would have given it highest rating possible if it had Hackman's character walking through the airport back to his wife.

An interesting role for Hackman as the tough guy private I.

awesome private eye pic look 4 early performances from a 16 yr old Melanie Griffith & james woods.

A closed in thriller that you'll enjoy the twist and turns with or against these cast of characters.

Los Angeles é de novo a cidade em que todos se atraiçoam neste noir de meados dos anos 70 com méritos vários (incluindo uma intriga que transborda sensualidade sem nunca banaliza-la). Gene Hackman, como seria de esperar, é categórico no seu desempenho com tonalidades de solitário Melvilliano e sem ele o final de "Night Moves" não teria a mesma grandeza. Com alguma estranheza é um filme que não ressoa muito depois de terminar.

Young (17) Melanie Griffith makes the film worth your while. Never seen her in her early films when the lips were still small and face alive (oops). The story keeps your attention, although all things are not clear and keep you wandering afterwards. But what was idea with the 70s moustache??

Even if the domestic problems plaguing Hackman's character seem a bit forced, all the stuff about him trying desperately to inhabit the role of a hard boiled Private Eye and failing is fascinating. Also, its got one hell of an ending.