Non-2020 First Time Watches Ranked
Directors Ranked: Martin Scorsese
Ranked: Film Club

Film #8 of the Birth Year Challenge

I'll start off by saying what everyone else has also said...this doesn't really feel like a Scorsese film. If you gave me 50 guesses as to who directed it if I didn't know, I wouldn't guess him. Might get it on the 51st try though.

This film is funny, but not in a laugh out loud way. More of a oh shit, that's now happening kinda way. But it's very well-written with some great, quirky characters throughout played by a fantastic cast.

Griffin Dunne plays the lead and does a great job, although I have one qualm; his character is moralistically inconsistent. He seems to start off as this nice, happy-go-lucky guy who seems to luck out when the hot blonde (played by Rosanna Arquette) flirts with him. Then when he goes to her place, he immediately moves in on Linda Fiorentino's character. After that, he gets mad when Rosanna Arquette doesn't wanna bang. Things happen later that, while done in a comedic way, still bring his morality into disrepute as well.

The supporting cast is amazing; Rosanna Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, Cheech & Chong, John Heard, Catherine O'Hara and a hilarious cameo by Will Patton! Each of their characters add something to the film too and all of their performances are excellent.

A word I generally wouldn't use to describe a comedy is atmospheric but that's exactly the word I'd use for this film. The city feels like a character in and of itself and that's because the atmosphere created by Scorsese makes the city feel alive. It's really well done.

Overall, this might be Scorsese's most underrated film and is a must watch!