(1966)
3
Craig Butler
A neat little mystery thriller, Mirage suffers a bit in comparison with Spellbound, the Hitchcock classic that also starred Gregory Peck as an amnesiac who may have murdered a man. The missing ingredient here is Hitchcock; while director Edward Dmytryk does a more than serviceable job throughout and even has moments that are really quite good, Mirage needs the extra-assured touch of the master to rise from the level of "good" to "exceptional." This is especially true in terms of keeping the complexities and twists and turns of Peter Stone's taut screenplay understandable to the audience; even the most careful viewing tends to leave one believing that a few plot points were left unexplained. Even so, there's more than enough here to entertain the audience, starting with Peck, who is in great form here -- commanding attention and sympathy and keeping the viewer rooting for him throughout. Diane Baker does a great deal with a part that is a bit slapdash in writing and conception, and Walter Matthau steals each of his scenes with the laid-back ease of his performance. Mirage is a gripping diversion, a fine way for puzzle lovers to sharpen their wits.
cast-crew for Mirage on AllMovie
Mirage (1966)
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