Opiniones de usuarios

People give respect to give respect to Scorsese's "Casino", to "Taxi Driver", to "Mean Streets", they give respect to "The Godfather" and a whole slew of gritty organized crime movies. But I've never heard a single mention of this movie. Thankfully, people have been coming slowly around to Cassavetes-directed movies, but seldom, if ever, have I heard anyone compliment this movie for which Cassavetes is only credited for his acting. The silence regarding this movie is ridiculous, because of how great this movie is. It's so pure, it's so rough, it makes "Mean Streets" look big budget. The director, the comic-timing pro Elaine May, is a genius to let the actors do their thing, because they are legendary actors and to get too involved would ruin the chemistry. I think it's wise to go into this movie without knowing too much except maybe the names of the two leads and the director, and that the whole production is amazing without being perfect.

Viewers familiar with John Cassavetes' directing style will see his influence in this film, but Elaine May wrote and directed it. It is an engaging, highly unusual drama about two childhood pals mixed up with the mob. Don't expect Martin Scorsese or Francis Coppola glitz here---this movie is different. There is a real, uncinematic edge to it. It almost plays like a documentary, or a "reality movie." And the actors--Falk and Cassevetes were good friends and frequently worked together--allow for unique male-bonding (and a dissection of the male sex) that rarely occurs in modern film (another characteristic of a Cassavetes-directed film). Women are basically throwaway characters in many of his films, and that is the case here. This movie will either be an endurance test for audiences, or a fascinating experience. It was the latter for me.

A list of best films-you-didn't see from the seventies and eighties could not be complete without a host of John Cassavetes films: THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (1976 - given thumbs down on release, lauded as a classic now), and LOVE STREAMS (1984) are just two overlooked gems. Likewise, the only reason you can make for anybody not seeing MIKEY AND NICKY (Cassavetes starred, but didn't write/direct) is that nobody heard of it.

I assume you have one of two reasons for reading this review. Either (a) you love the film and are looking for like-minded opinion; or (b) you stumbled upon it accidentally, in which case I shall put it as simple as possible: you gotta see it.

Mikey (John Cassavetes) sits in a shoebox hotel room, a price now on his head, scared stiff. In desperation he calls his gangster childhood pal Nicky (Peter Falk) to help him get out of town.

A synopsis doesn't cover the density of the film. Two fragile male egos rebound off each other as the leads recall just why they love and hate each other so much. I cannot think of a better casting move than coupling Cassavetes and Falk. Good friends in real life, and frequent collaborators, they bring an intimacy to the film rarely seen elsewhere.

Within the first half-hour it dawns on the audience that engrossing as the story is, the outcome is not the most important aspect. Director Elaine May draws strength from the honesty of the characters. Her handling is at once compassionate and even-handed. The result: the characters are likeable for all their flaws.

It resonates more and more every time you watch it, enough for me personally to consider it will be a major influence on anything I might have the chance to film in the future.

The passing of Cassavetes was heartbreaking, the casual neglect of his output just as much so. If you don't know much about the man who took Scorsese under his wing, take the time today to investigate. Elaine May went on to make ISHTAR. Sadly, she hasn't directed since.

MIKEY AND NICKY is one of the greatest American films ever made.

This totally underrated classic (in my Top 10 of all time) directed by Elaine May a few years before it's release is unbelievably gritty and a sad comment on the "American Dream" even for small-time mobsters. John Cassavetes was never better as Nick, a paranoid, intelligent, and street-wise guy. Peter Falk is equally impressive as his friend Mike who has problems of his own. This was probably the best Cassavetes-like film that he DIDN'T direct, but very similar to his style.

A 10 out of 10. Best performance = John Cassavetes. a one-night (dusk to dawn) film that will grab you and never let go. Ned Beatty has an amusing supporting role, along with Sanford Meisner & William Hickey (well-known acting teachers). This movie never had a chance at the box office, but is now highly regarded in all circles. Don't miss it!

Elaine May (Ishtar/The Heartbreak Kid) 1976 one-night odyssey involving a couple of lifelong buddies cum hoods, Oscar nominee Peter Falk & John Cassavetes, race through the night avoiding a hit man, played by Oscar nominee Ned Beatty. Playing out as a series of arguments through various venues (a movie theater, a bar, a cafe) as Falk tries to get Cassavetes to safety after he's absconded w/some ill-gotten gains. Once the reveal is made that Falk is on the kill & Cassavetes knows but still goes through the motions of putting some semblance of trust into his relationship w/Falk & May, maybe inspired by Cassavetes' own body of work but has said in interviews everything was scripted from people she knew in her neighborhood growing up, has crafted a yarn whose surprise is telegraphed so early that the follow through feels like its going through the motions leaving the finished product of 2 actors at the top of their game trying to make a meal of some meager vittles.

The combination of Cassavettes, Falk and May cannot be beat. Scenes go on for ten to fifteen minutes long, but the dialogue is so smart and the acting so excellent that the film breezes by. Some of the best writing ever, and Falk is one of our greatest American actors. Hilarious scenes on the bus and in a graveyard are unforgettable. And Falk's nickname, "The Echo" is priceless. Must see.

This is a typical Cassavetes/Falk movie disguised as a crime/drama. Of course, anyone who believed this is something like COLLATERAL or a Scorsese gangster movie, is gonna be disappointed. The crime element and plot (Someone is after Cassavetes' character) is only a "MacGuffin" for Peter and John. The whole movie is about these two friends, they constantly argue/fight/talk and of course, there is a lot of improvisation here if i am not mistaken. This is a similar movie to HUSBANDS (1970), HUSBANDS is a superior movie though.

Only for a specific audience. For me, this is a very good movie but it's just my personal taste. Many people won't like it. These are unlikeable characters, i mean, Cassavetes' character seems almost unredeemable and Falk character did something that can't be excused. Furthermore, it seems reasonable to me for a moviegoer to not find anything interesting here. But if you are looking for something different, something real/raw/honest and you haven't heard of Cassavetes, maybe you will like it too.

Mikey and Nicky (1976)

2.5/4

Elaine May is a woman of extreme talent. She knows dialogue very well; she is one of the best writers in film. But where I think her talents fall short is her 1976 effort 'Mikey and Nicky'. Personally, I think this movie would be better on the stage than the screen; so much of it is talking and acting to the camera, and not really much else. There really isn't a located plot either. I found this movie to ramble on and on from scene to scene, and thought that it failed immensely as sharp, edged entertainment like some of Elaine May's other work. While I have to admit that the two leads are very good when they're on the screen, I found this movie, unlike other movies with John Cassavettes and Peter Falk, to be curiously boring and uninteresting.

The film follows Nicky (John Cassavettes), on the run from the mob, as he turns to his old friend Mikey (Peter Falk) for desperate help.

The plot has lots of twists and turns, but none of them really come unexpected. Unfortunately, this movie isn't able to tread any new ground, and you can't stand the characters. While, yes, it's true, the two leads do have chemistry, and the dialogue is well written by Elaine May, but it never goes anywhere. This is a fascinating experience for me, everyone I know who's seen this movie really likes it and or loves it, except for me. I can understand why people can like the movie, but not love it.

I think the best part of Mikey and Nicky is Elaine May's dialogue, because that's what makes the performances good. But what I don't think works is the tired approach to the story, which isn't anything but predictable. Elaine May may have taken an interesting risk here; but, unfortunately for me, I think she failed. 'Ishtar', I think, is still a better showcase of May's talents, because that movie has everything that this movie tried and failed at - an interesting direction, some good acting from Hoffman and Grodin, and lovable characters.

Mikey and Nicky, two small time mob guys wander around town while a hitman chases Nicky (sort of). They bicker and yabber endlessly the whole time.

I'd wanted to see this for a long time. It's called some kind of misunderstood classic, lost work of genius, etc. I'm sad to say it's not. There's not really enough here for the running time and what is here is barely interesting. Lots of talking and improvising (despite what May says, I don't buy that this wasn't, in parts, largely improvised. There are too many nonsensical bits to be anything other than spur of the moment choices). Also, it's shockingly poorly edited, with loads of continuity errors, off camera dialogue to on camera closed mouths, poorly framed shots, out of focus inserts, freeze frames on details they forgot to cover, and even reused reactions. It's obvious that there was way too much film shot, no focus, and bad construction.

This is not some fabled hidden gem, but it's not a total waste. There are a couple of okay scenes and the bookend shots work nicely. Solid Meh.

I decided to take a chance on this movie when I stumbled upon it in my neighborhood video store. I feel I should mention that I'm not a fan of Cassavetes' films, though I did know that he just acted in this movie and didn't write or direct. Cassavetes does give a good performance in the movie - in fact, all the other actors give good performances as well. Under the direction of Elaine May, the performances have a relaxed and unrehearsed feeling; at times I almost thought I was seeing real people caught by a hidden camera. May also captures the grit of an American city in the 1970s before things got cleaned up. Despite this good stuff, however, the movie eventually becomes somewhat tiresome. The Cassavetes character eventually becomes obnoxious and frustrating because we never really learn how he got into trouble. And after a time, you start to wonder where this thin story is going - you have to wait until the last half hour before the plot starts moving again. Not a terrible movie, but the script should have gone through a couple more rewrites before filming started.

A great film! Though I have yet to see any of Elaine May's other films, I find that this one quickly puts her on an eccentric list of directors. Anyone who's a Casavettes (or Falk) fan must see. A nice tight character driven study. Oddly enough; might be grouped with Wings Of Desire (Wenders) and Requiem For A Dream (Aronofsky); though without the mystical elements. In fact, anyone who appreciates Aronofsky (PI, Requiem, etc.) might find this rather satisfying. Understood there were continuity glitches, but found these to be rather endearing; though I'm unsure whether May intended these to be illustrative of certain a character mindset or not. If this were the case I could also see a certain brief parallel to Momento (Nolan), which also brings in Insomnia. If any of these references ring a pleasant bell, find this film; it's worth it.

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.

The third and probably least known of the three features directed by Elaine May in the 70's, "Mikey and Nicky" seems to me to be at one and the same time both the most straightforward and most complex of the three I've recently watched.

We're parachuted straight into the action as we join a paranoid, small-time crook, John Cassavetes' Nicky character, holed up in a cheap downtown hotel in Philadelphia, convinced that he's about to be murdered on the say-so of big boss Resnick. We're not told what he's supposed to have done but there's only one person he can trust to get him out of his tight spot and that's his long-time buddy and partner-in-crime, Peter Falk's Mikey, who, it seems, will do anything to try to help his buddy, his first job being to try to calm Nicky down. I initially suspected that Nicky was imagining it all and that the two were about to play out a movie-length update of "Waiting for Godot". The situations they play out as well as their seemingly banal exchanges of dialogue certainly convey such a premise until we cut to Ned Beatty's character, driving around looking to catch up with the duo and later again to the monster boss Resnick himself, so there must be something in it.

About two thirds of the way in we get the major plot twist which reveals the true lie of the land so that after the two take in interludes at an all-night cinema showing a kung-fu movie, a detour to the cemetery where Nicky's mother is buried and then an early-morning rendezvous with an old-flame of Nicky's, the film reaches its by then inevitable climax with Nicky seeking sanctuary at Mikey's house.

The key to the movie is the naturalistic direction by May, with hand-held camera shots, unusual camera angles and many scenes played out in near-darkness. The playing by Cassavetes and Falk and their delivery of the rhythmic dialogue seems almost improvisational at times and is excellently acted by both men.

I may prefer a bit more plot in my movies and certainly there isn't at first glance a whole lot going on, plus there are a few unpleasant scenes around the women in the movie but I found I did, against my own instincts and better judgement, somewhat enjoy this unconventional, unusual and unsettling treatise on friendship and betrayal, condensed into one long, dark night of the soul for these two interconnected individuals.

Dark, gritty and brilliant underrated/underseen buddy film. It's heart-string-tugging sensibility comes from the fact that it was written and directed by a woman (Elaine May), though in a near-perfect (and doubtlessly intentional) simulation of Cassavete's style. Falk & Cassavetes at the top of their respective & collaborative games.

Written and directed by one of my favorite people -- Elaine May! The awesome Peter Falk could play any role. With Cassavetes and Ned Beatty. Nick (Cassavetes) is hiding from the mob, in a hotel, and calls his buddy Mike (Falk) for help. Nick is sure that someone is out to get him. And apparently, they ARE ! It gets slow and annoying in the middle... do we really need to watch Peter Falk, as HE watches Nick make out with a girl... for about 10 minutes. They go all over the city, but Nick is loud and annoying, and picks fights everywhere they go. Beatty is Kinney, who seems to be out to get Nick. This one is a more serious drama/suspense film; doesn't have any of the humor that is all over New Leaf and Ishtar. Apparently, budget or ownership issues held up the release, which happened with several of the films in which Elaine May was a part. She seems to have a record of shooting too much film, but the finished, completed version always seems to come out fine (New Leaf, Mikey and Nicky) or maybe just okay (Ishtar... but i blame that on bad casting; Beatty was just wrong for the part). E. May was AWESOME in Small Time Crooks. But that was W. Allen.

This film stuck with me for a few days. Peter Falk (Mikey) and Cassavetes (Nicky) give powerful performances and the film makes one wonder 1) if Mikey intends to go through with his dirty job all along and 2) while Nicky seems to know intellectually that it is likely that his friend could betray him, does he believe it or not? When Nicky spontaneously takes Mikey to his mother's grave, it seems that it is not really to pay respect to his mother before he dies but rather to remind his friend that death is final and that if Mikey kills him he'll be killing an irretrievable part of his past. Nicky yells out, "Mom, if anything happens to me Mikey did it!!" This seems to force Mikey to think a bit more deeply about the job he's embarking on; it won't be so easy for him to see his job through to the end. But near the film's end, Mikey tells his wife a story from his childhood that Nicky had reminded him of in the graveyard--does Mikey tell his wife the story as it really happened? The film leaves room for interpretation, but one thing is clear; the night that Mikey and Nicky spend together they are both forced to face their shmuckhood--- not something that either of them are very good at. A must see, especially for Falk and Cassavete fans.

Since this is written and directed by the same person, it's easier to theorize about why it doesn't really work. My vote is for the writing--as if Elaine May had some character dynamic she was exploring but couldn't develop to the point of clarity.

The scenes, played by a couple of very capable and interesting actors, develop the plot very slowly and tend to drag on, as if searching for that clear point or detail rooted in who they are and what's gone on between them (it seemed like they were getting close in the cemetery). Maybe these guys are based on real people the writer knew but didn't understand (that happens in life, but it makes for murky cinema), but they don't add up to a coherent character-based story.

Spartacus Super Bowl doesn't feel he wasted his time on this, just that it was more like reading someone's draft and not knowing how to comment constructively.

Certainly an atypical film from the director of neurotic Jewish comedies, Elaine May. The first hour and twenty minutes has strong echoes of "Mean Streets" as it powerfully evokes an uneasy friendship between two quite flawed, small time hoodlums. The scenes in the cemetery, with Nicky's emotionally scarred, needy girlfriend and the ultimate quarrel between the title characters that shatters their relationship are all admirably handled by May and Peter Falk and especially John Cassavetes , the later giving, in my opinion, his finest performance as he manages to actually make you care for this selfish, abusive creep. Not easy to do (just ask DeNiro in "Raging Bull") and that Cassavetes pulls it off must, in some part, be attributable to May since in this actor's other roles a tendency to be over the top and undisciplined, particularly when acting in his own films, is all too prevalent. Unfortunately, the film loses steam once Mikey and Nicky split up and becomes both repetitive and slow paced. For example, we don't need the stuff with Mikey's wife which largely restates the themes expressed in the scene with the girlfriend, nor do we need ANOTHER scene with the girlfriend and although Ned Beatty is one of my all time favorite character actors the stuff with him and Falk tooling around the streets of Philadelphia is, after the riveting stuff between Falk/Cassavetes, somewhat anti climacti. However, despite the film's inordinate length and long third act, it's a compelling ride. Give it a B plus.

Interesting but Ultimately and Art Film Showcasing Two Method Actors, John Cassavetes who uses Method Acting as a Whole New Method, and Peter Falk Professionally Playing along with what Writer/Director Elaine May and one Assumes Cassavetes had in Mind.

It's All in the Mind and We get to Penetrate the Craniums of Two Small Time 1970's Hoods on the Lam in what amounts to a Couple of Blocks in the Big City. The Character Study takes place in less than 24 Hours and the Two Hour Running Time is a Tense, Claustrophobic, Anxiety Riddled Atmosphere of much Rough Housing and Verbal Sparring.

The Two are Not too Bright so the Banter is Raw and Reveals very Little as the Screenplay makes Pretensions to Say A Lot Without Saying much. Words and Phrases are Repeated Endlessly (is there an echo in here?) The Whole Thing becomes an Exercise in Frustration, Fighting, Wrestling, Pawing, Slapping, Ball-Busting, and Betrayal.

Ned Beatty Shows Up in the Third Act as the Antagonist as the Conclusion is Opened Up somewhat for Ventilation but the Air has been Sucked Out of this Thing Long Ago and Replaced with Stagnant Carbon Dioxide from the Constant Back and Forth Bickering.

Overall much Too Long to Sustain this amount of Close-Up Scrutiny, Watching and Listening to these "Real" Low-Lifers. Worth a Watch for Fans of the Actors and the Cassavetes No Frills Film-Making Format that the Female Writer/Director Emulates and seems to be making an Homage.