Very disappointed :(

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Released in post-war 1947, "T-Men" is about two employees of the Treasury Department, back when it had a wider scope, including taxes, borders, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. Counterfeiting was under its purview, and the film is a story about two agents who infiltrate the mob to stop its distribution of counterfeit money and revenue stamps.The B&W cinematography has been called "noir", and rightfully so, despite the film's intrusive voice-overs and a documentarian presentation that includes a message from the Treasury Department itself. Thankfully, the acting is good and the camera work is stylish. After a slow start, the film becomes more interesting.Watch for the cameo by June Lockhart.Without the numerous voice-overs, "T-Men" would have been a much better film. Still, it performed well at the box office, and its success led to a CBS radio show.

T-MEN is a slice of film noir that benefits immensely from the direction of Anthony Mann, who crafts what can ably be described as a visual masterpiece. It's a film of shadowy corridors, striking and imposing industrial sets, and grimy streets; foggy and exaggerated, with the look of the characters almost as important as the characters themselves.The story is nothing special, about a couple of treasury agents going undercover in a counterfeiting ring in order to break it up. But this film has style to spare, style that overcomes the shortcomings of the script to offer up something that feels fresh and engaging. The portentous Raymond Chandler-style narration helps a lot, putting this film very much in its era.The first half of the film is a little slow, but things pick up in the second with a series of gripping set-pieces. A sauna is used for incredible atmospheric effect, and a simple street scene where a guy is forced to ignore his own wife is highly suspenseful. Inevitably the best scenes are saved for the shocks and sudden violence of the climax. The cast members give assured turns and in many ways this reminded me of a Japanese Yakuza film; it has that level of appealing toughness to it.

Two Treasury agents are assigned to infiltrate a counterfeiting ring, taking them from Chicago to LA.This is arguably the best of the 'undercover' movies so popular at the time. That's thanks mainly to director Mann who gets the most out the screenplay, along with cameraman Alton who manages a forbidding world of shadows and half-light that mirror the moral world our agents must enter. In fact, a couple of visuals look like the underside of a wrecking yard at midnight. The screenplay (Higgins) too, manages to avoid many clichés of the genre, along with a few riveting surprises. I like the painstaking way the screenplay sets up the agents' (O'Keefe & Ryder) credentials as counterfeiters. Though you may need a scorecard at times to keep up with the many players who drift in and out.Frankly, O'Keefe would not be my first choice for a role like this. He's a little too clean-cut and movie star looking. But I have to say he delivers a fine performance that makes you forget the handicaps. Then there's Lassie's mom, June Lockhart, who makes the most out of what amounts to a cameo appearance. And what would an underworld picture of the time be without the great jut-jawed Charles McGraw. Here he gets to menace everyone including the audience. I hope there's a special place in Hollywood heaven for unsung guys and gals like him.All in all, it's a stylish thriller deserving of its reputation as a noir classic. Meanwhile, I'm checking the few bills in my wallet.

This film is rather reminiscent of the excellent Alan Ladd Noir film, APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER (about a postal inspector infiltrating a murderous gang). In this case, the undercover work is done by two Treasury agents--Dennis O'Keefe and Alfred Ryder. I really liked these two as leads because despite being far from household names, the acting was excellent and believable. Also, true to Noir, they weren't exactly handsome guys--more like a tough average man instead of the usual non-Noir heroes.O'Keefe and Ryder play undercover agents who are trying to infiltrate a gang of counterfeiters. It's dangerous work and they can't just arrest people because they have no idea who is in charge. Throughout the film, tough bad guys (such as Charles McGraw) and unflinching but realistic violence is present--as well as an excellent level of suspense. Unlike some Noir films, this one pulls no punches nor does it give way to sentimentality. This is a seldom-seen but exceptional film for lovers of the genre.By the way, I had one minor complain and that was the terrible narration. My score for the film, because of this, is knocked from an 8 to 7. When the film began, a Treasury official gave an introduction that was VERY stilted and he simply couldn't read his lines well. Then, throughout the film, a different narrator spoke on occasion and just wasn't necessary to the film--it was a minor distraction.