Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

akoaytao1234 This film tells the story of a problematic petty thief who falls in danger after a questionable dealing with a mob boss. With minutes behind his hit man, he asked his gangster friend for help to bail him out one last time. Ultimately, his awful behavior takes a toll to their friendship and he is left to bail himself on his own. I have read a lot of reviews putting it high regard (even comparing it to the likes of the Godfather films and Scorsese gangster flicks) but it just did not do it for me. I mean I like the performances in here. It feels very organic and realistic compared to Cassavetes's work which seems to be the main inspiration of the film but it leaves you kinda detached to it. It just did not setup its character to be there with you throughout the film that by the end you could not care less about them. To conclude, the film would forever be remembered for May's directorial antics and not by its own merits. [2/5]

MARIO GAUCI A strange film to come from a woman film-maker and one best-known for comedy at that; its rough, intense quality makes it feel more like one of co-star John Cassavetes' own radical works and, in fact, around this same time made one of his finest films - THE KILLING OF A Chinese BOOKIE (1976) - which incidentally also deals with the trials and tribulations of a small-time crook (played by Ben Gazzara) who unwisely takes on the mob.The film under review is buoyed by two excellent performances from Peter Falk and Cassavetes who, for the most part, are the only people on screen; however, Ned Beatty is also notable as a beleaguered hit-man.The film, however, can't make up its mind whether to be an existential neo-noir gangster melodrama or a perverse, eccentric inversion of a "buddy" movie! Cassavetes' come-uppance at the very end is arguably the film's highlight and, interestingly, it was shot by veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard who, among others, had previously shot THE RISE AND FALL OF LEGS DIAMOND (1960) a fine gangster picture and Budd Boetticher's Hollywood swan song. May herself would go on to direct just one more film, the unfairly maligned ISHTAR (1987; see review above); having watched her delightful debut, A NEW LEAF (1971; in which she also starred), I've only got THE HEARTBREAK KID (1972) left to catch up with (though I did miss a number of Cable TV screenings over here several years ago).

LewisJForce People are going crazy for this film here: "one of the best films ever made", "lost classic" "10 star movie", etc, etc. When I finally got hold of a disc, I was wetting myself in anticipation.Friends, it ain't all that. It's watchable. Reasonably entertaining. Often feels like it's gonna go somewhere profound, though never does. Has lovely little moments. But it meanders, is unnecessarily technically inept (it was a major studio picture with people like the great Lucien Ballard involved) and somehow never has the courage of it's convictions. Cassavetes' similar film from the same period, 'The Killing Of a Chinese Bookie', is far better.I don't dislike the film. It has a great 70's texture and plenty of lovable eccentricities, such as the brief musical 'score'( anyway you look at it, it doesn't work, but I sort of enjoyed it for that reason). There's one scene I really liked: Cassavetes walks into an all-night candy store (as a Brit, the concept of that alone excites me) and tries to buy ice-cream. Nothing worth really talking about happens, but it's quirky and entertaining. It's that kind of movie.

james362001 My reason for wanting to see this film was because Rueben Greene (from the film "The Boys In The Band" [1970]) was in it. Boy, was I in for a treat. This film starring John Cassavetes and Peter Falk with Ned Beatty is a serious crime drama with a touch of gangster crime in it. May have been one of those films you saw years ago on a late night local independent tv station during a rainy night. This New York style/late-night feel film is played straight without the cheesy music in the background. Every sound you hear is real, the dialing of a rotary phone, footsteps, background chatter, the street, is all authentic as filmed. This is a good 1970's film. Wonderfully written and directed by Elaine May, who you may remember acting with Walter Matthau in the films "A New Leaf" (1971) and "California Suite" (1978). Adults Only.