The career of BBS weirdly echoed that of Peter Bogdanovich: three hits, three flops. This was one of the latter, along with Drive He Said and A Safe Place although its reputation is higher than others. It's got Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern as brothers, the gimmick being Nicholson plays the quiet, depressed one. He's a radio host who is allowed to ramble on in monologues - does this happen?
Lovely acting (by everyone except that fourth lead girl), photography and boardwalk atmosphere. Ellen Burstyn very good. Ditto Dern and Nicholson. I did wish there was more sex and violence because the glimpses of it (the gals being nude in Dern's room playing cards, Scatman Crothers' gangster) are good. I know that wasn't the point it just would've sparked things up. Like a Bergman film.
No comments:
Post a Comment