Blast of Silence (1961) and Sweet Smell of Success (1957) are great ways for you to bring in the new year. They’d also be great alone on Christmas day, but since we’re all peaceing out on the 21st you won’t be able to experience that. Regardless, you’ll appreciate the grittiness of both this films as it manifests in different ways. It’s a little more traditional in Blast of Silence while Sweet Smell of Success establishes that dirt and grit more through characters with a subtler touch.
I think one of the things that really sets Sweet Smell of Success apart is that the exteriors were all on location. It was rare for films of the day so seeing Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis act their way through the streets of 1950’s New York is quite a treat. I guess that’s also worth mentioning. Both these films are set in New York and filmed on location.
