Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

The written companion

Draft companion · Awaiting editorial review

Sweet Smell of Success: Admiring the Craft, Struggling with the Company

Matt likes films from Hollywood's earlier decades, so Sweet Smell of Success is not a case of two viewers dismissing something simply because it is old. He arrives interested, with expectations shaped by the film's reputation. Dan is similarly curious about the cast and its standing. The surprise is how hard both find it to stay engaged.

They do not have trouble seeing the skill. Matt singles out the sharp, witty dialogue. Dan admires the cinematography and thinks the actors convincingly portray deeply unpleasant people. Their problem is what it feels like to spend the running time with those characters. Dan describes having to stop and return several times; Matt says the experience felt like a chore.

The most revealing part of the conversation is Dan's attempt to understand that resistance. He is accustomed to following an underdog or someone he can root for. Here, he feels placed alongside the people who are doing the obstructing and manipulating. He can recognize that perspective as an intentional choice without enjoying the company it asks him to keep.

That leaves both men in a more interesting position than simply calling a celebrated film overrated. They respect aspects of the work and acknowledge that other viewers find something compelling in it. Their admiration for individual ingredients never quite becomes an involving whole.

The episode is a useful reminder of what this series allows: a place on a must-see list can make a film worth encountering without dictating the response. Sometimes the conversation begins precisely where reputation and personal experience fail to meet.

Do you need someone to root for, or can brilliantly written unpleasant people be enough? If you love Sweet Smell of Success, what draws you into the world that kept Dan and Matt at a distance?

Watch their Sweet Smell of Success discussion ↗

Based on auto-generated captions. The episode includes plot spoilers; this companion focuses on the hosts' responses.