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After Hours (1985)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast overview: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette
Running time: 97 minutes
A simple date turns into a nightmare for New York City word processor Paul Hackett. That's the basic premise of the film and I think it's a thoroughly original one from Scorsese, who seemed to spend the majority of the eighties veering from his usual path of crime / thriller films to make a couple of comedy-dramas. Thank goodness he did, because this works really well, with Hackett's character - played by a relative unknown to me (in fact, he'd be good for the actors only known for one role thread) - typifying a liability, in that everything he attempts to do goes wrong or comes back to haunt him.
I've had mixed views of the Scorsese films I've watched so far, but this'd rank second on the list of those I have. The direction is great, and the script is witty, real, and engaging. You really do feel as though you're with Hackett, going through his traumas as he does. The supporting cast also play nice roles, with Rosanna Arquette and Verna Bloom probably the pick of them.
This was also one of those films where the running time - short as it is - flew by for me, and it seemed to be over before it had even started. In my view, that's testament to the fast-paced nature of it, and the witty and authentic writing and direction. Unlike some of Scorsese's films, that seem slow and plodding, this is really quite quick.
Overall, this is a fantastic Scorsese film, in my opinion. I don't quite - yet - think it's a classic, though it definitely has the potential to go up in my estimation, having enjoyed it as much as I did. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good film, and it's perhaps the most underrated of Scorsese's directed pictures.
Quotes
Paul Hackett: What do you want from me? I'm just a word processor!
[after witnessing a murder through a window]
Paul Hackett: I'll probably get blamed for that.
Pepe: Art sure is ugly.
Neil: Shows how much you know about art. The uglier the art, the more it's worth.
Pepe: This must be worth a fortune, man.
Trivia
The conversation between Paul and the bouncer at Club Berlin is mostly from Franz Kafka's "Before The Law."
Scorsese designed the film as a parody of Hitchcock's style. The elaborate camera movements echo sequences in Marnie (1964), while Howard Shore's score emulates the style of one of Hitchcock's most frequent collaborators, Bernard Herrmann.
The original cut of the film was 45 minutes longer.
Trailer
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast overview: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette
Running time: 97 minutes
A simple date turns into a nightmare for New York City word processor Paul Hackett. That's the basic premise of the film and I think it's a thoroughly original one from Scorsese, who seemed to spend the majority of the eighties veering from his usual path of crime / thriller films to make a couple of comedy-dramas. Thank goodness he did, because this works really well, with Hackett's character - played by a relative unknown to me (in fact, he'd be good for the actors only known for one role thread) - typifying a liability, in that everything he attempts to do goes wrong or comes back to haunt him.
I've had mixed views of the Scorsese films I've watched so far, but this'd rank second on the list of those I have. The direction is great, and the script is witty, real, and engaging. You really do feel as though you're with Hackett, going through his traumas as he does. The supporting cast also play nice roles, with Rosanna Arquette and Verna Bloom probably the pick of them.
This was also one of those films where the running time - short as it is - flew by for me, and it seemed to be over before it had even started. In my view, that's testament to the fast-paced nature of it, and the witty and authentic writing and direction. Unlike some of Scorsese's films, that seem slow and plodding, this is really quite quick.
Overall, this is a fantastic Scorsese film, in my opinion. I don't quite - yet - think it's a classic, though it definitely has the potential to go up in my estimation, having enjoyed it as much as I did. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good film, and it's perhaps the most underrated of Scorsese's directed pictures.
Quotes
Paul Hackett: What do you want from me? I'm just a word processor!
[after witnessing a murder through a window]
Paul Hackett: I'll probably get blamed for that.
Pepe: Art sure is ugly.
Neil: Shows how much you know about art. The uglier the art, the more it's worth.
Pepe: This must be worth a fortune, man.
Trivia
The conversation between Paul and the bouncer at Club Berlin is mostly from Franz Kafka's "Before The Law."
Scorsese designed the film as a parody of Hitchcock's style. The elaborate camera movements echo sequences in Marnie (1964), while Howard Shore's score emulates the style of one of Hitchcock's most frequent collaborators, Bernard Herrmann.
The original cut of the film was 45 minutes longer.
Trailer