Mikey et Nicky

Elaine May gives us a real portrait of friendship that hacks like Tarantino and LaBute could only dream of making. She doesn't get hung up on the hipness or the coolness of her characters. Mikey and Nicky are people she forces us to care about. They are reflections of ourselves, even if we have never been wanted by the mob. Elaine May gives us reasons to relate to and to sympathize with Mikey and Nicky, but she also shows us reasons to feel out and out disgust for them. Our decisions and emotions are not simple and our view of this characters cannot be one-sided. No one wears white. No one wears black. There is no right, no wrong. It's not about witty dialogue and unique and jaded perspectives on life. This film is life and it's not pretty and easy to swallow, but it is honest.

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.

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.

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.

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.