The Maltese Falcon: John Huston tells this convoluted, fun story with great confidence and clarity; it all starts with the screenplay, that presents snappy dialogue galore, which makes every scene a joy to watch. That would all be for naught if the cast was not able to read it properly, but the cast here is in great shape. At the center of it all is Humphrey Bogart, playing a role that nobody ever played as well as he did here and in other films; he is, however, surrounded by a great group, and they are all (Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr.) wonderful. Expressively and elegantly shot by Arthur Edeson.