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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. He Was Her Man remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school crime dramas where the plot is mostly just people talking in rooms, you'll probably dig this. But if you’re looking for a tight, high-stakes thriller, you might find yourself checking your phone during the long, talky bits in the middle.
It’s definitely for the folks who like seeing James Cagney play against type. He isn't exactly the explosive tough guy you’re used to seeing in something like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. He’s more... tired.
There’s this one scene where he’s trying to act like a wholesome villager, and you can practically see the sweat on his brow. It’s not that he’s bad at it, but he’s so clearly a city rat in a field of hay. It feels *intentionally* awkward.
Joan Blondell is the real glue here. She carries a look of permanent exhaustion that feels so grounded it’s almost distracting. Every time she stares out the window, you believe she’s been through the ringer five times over.
The movie doesn't really care about the mob stuff as much as it cares about the weird, crumbling relationship between these two people. It feels like a precursor to the kind of stuff they were doing in Flying Down to Rio, but without the glitz. Just dirt, cigarettes, and bad choices.
It gets a bit messy toward the end. The pacing just sort of stops dead, like the writers realized they had to finish the movie and just picked a door to walk through. It doesn't feel 'resolved' so much as it just stops.
It’s not a masterpiece, and honestly, it feels a bit uneven. But there’s something about the way these characters snap at each other that feels more real than most movies from that era. Worth a watch if you want to see a star just hang out and be a mess for ninety minutes. 📽️