1951 / Billy Wilder > Now, Billy, you’ve failed me here. This story of exploitation may have gotten a rise out of people back in the day, but it’s aged faster than anything else I’ve ever seen by you. Even Kirk Douglas seems like he’s too busy acting to actually play his part. Something about how simple you make everything seem in Ace in the Hole just doesn’t feel right. The morality is too clear cut, and if I really wanted to doubt my conscience, maybe I’d go back to watch the layered Sweet Smell of Success instead! Or am I just feeling backlash to the sudden sprouting of liberal guilt in our current media environment?