Atlantic City (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Atlantic City' (directed by Louis Malle) is a story full of offbeat characters. Burt Lancaster plays Lou Pascal, an aging small-time hood who lurks around A.C. doing odd jobs. He barely scratches out a living & tends to the needs of Grace (Kate Reed), the bedridden widow of a deceased gangster for whom Lou worked for. Before long, he meets Sally Matthews (Susan Sarandon), a sexy Canadian who also happens to be his neighbor; Lou typically spies on the much younger Sally, an attractive oyster-bar waitress/would-be casino croupier, as she stands by her kitchen window, applying lemon juice to her breasts to remove the smell of fish.
The pair meets when Sally's estranged husband accompanied by her pregnant sister shows up carrying cocaine he has stolen from the mob. A romance evolves btwn. Sally & Lou. Due to the shady dealings of her ex, some mob thugs are sent to actually kill HER. Lou steps in to try & help her. Drama ensues. And everything culminates in a satisfying surprise ending in which the lives of the various characters are forever changed.
'Atlantic City' is intriguing from start to finish. It's a poignant, atmospheric. And I gravitate towards films that offer those 2 words, anyway. The film contains thematic motifs of demolition & reconstruction, luck & fate, old & new ... both with the city, as well as its people. Director Louis Malle makes us fall in love in love with his wounded characters, while at the same time, mercilessly dissecting their pie-in-the-sky dreams for the hopeless illusions they truly are.
In a terrific 'comeback' performance, Burt Lancaster plays a role that was tailor-made for him. I mean, who doesn't love Burt Lancaster? But still, it's a rich performance that riveted me. His Oscar nomination was well-deserved. And it's one of his better performances because he doesn't have to jump through hoops and/or ham it up for effect. He's 67 yrs. old and plays it that way. Susan Sarandon is also fantastic as Sally. Yes, she's gorgeous. Yes, we see her breasts. But she really crafts a beautiful character, here. She & Lancaster create a bit of movie magic with their May-December romance.
'Atlantic City' - while not having a big budget - is also beautifully mounted; thanks to Richard Ciupka's evocative camerawork, Anne Pritchard's precise contemporary production design (the city, it's beauty, it's grime, the houses, the casinos), Suzanne Baron's editing choices, & Michel Legrand's melancholy music score. Really, this is an effortless movie; one that benefits & deepens with subsequent viewings. These are my favorite kinds of films.
The pair meets when Sally's estranged husband accompanied by her pregnant sister shows up carrying cocaine he has stolen from the mob. A romance evolves btwn. Sally & Lou. Due to the shady dealings of her ex, some mob thugs are sent to actually kill HER. Lou steps in to try & help her. Drama ensues. And everything culminates in a satisfying surprise ending in which the lives of the various characters are forever changed.
'Atlantic City' is intriguing from start to finish. It's a poignant, atmospheric. And I gravitate towards films that offer those 2 words, anyway. The film contains thematic motifs of demolition & reconstruction, luck & fate, old & new ... both with the city, as well as its people. Director Louis Malle makes us fall in love in love with his wounded characters, while at the same time, mercilessly dissecting their pie-in-the-sky dreams for the hopeless illusions they truly are.
In a terrific 'comeback' performance, Burt Lancaster plays a role that was tailor-made for him. I mean, who doesn't love Burt Lancaster? But still, it's a rich performance that riveted me. His Oscar nomination was well-deserved. And it's one of his better performances because he doesn't have to jump through hoops and/or ham it up for effect. He's 67 yrs. old and plays it that way. Susan Sarandon is also fantastic as Sally. Yes, she's gorgeous. Yes, we see her breasts. But she really crafts a beautiful character, here. She & Lancaster create a bit of movie magic with their May-December romance.
'Atlantic City' - while not having a big budget - is also beautifully mounted; thanks to Richard Ciupka's evocative camerawork, Anne Pritchard's precise contemporary production design (the city, it's beauty, it's grime, the houses, the casinos), Suzanne Baron's editing choices, & Michel Legrand's melancholy music score. Really, this is an effortless movie; one that benefits & deepens with subsequent viewings. These are my favorite kinds of films.