Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2024 Edition

Friendship is an interesting concept. As humans, we crave for that connection with someone, anyone. But friendship doesn't always account for how people change through time. I can count with one hand, the people that were childhood friends that I'm still in contact with, and most of the time, it's just little jokes and stories that reminds us of the past. That's why we're such good friends. Because of what we remember and what we went through, not necessarily because of how we are now.

That angle is part of what's simmering in Elaine May's drama Mikey and Nicky. The film follows the titular characters (Peter Falk and John Cassavetes), two childhood friends and small-time mobsters that have to reconcile who they were with who they are now. When Nicky has a contract put on him for stealing money, he asks Mikey for help, which puts to the test how much of a friend are they and how much was in their heads.

This is a film that was recommended by a good friend a couple of years ago, and that I've constantly seen come up in discussions and social media recently, and deservedly so. Mikey and Nicky is both an interesting and complex character study about these two individuals, but also a tension-filled drama about what it means to be loyal and ultimately, a friend.

First, Falk and Cassavetes are excellent in the lead roles. Sure, there are some secondary characters, most notably Kinney (Ned Beatty), the hitman sent to kill Nicky, and Nellie (Carol Grace), the nurse that happens to be Nicky's lover; but it all comes back to the two leads. It is their interactions with Nell the ones that stuck with me most, particularly for the way that Nicky treats her. But it is that interaction which sparks one of the best scenes from the film, which is a 10-minute argument/fight between the two lead characters.

Because, again, the burden of the film is on the lead's shoulders as they're on screen 95% of the time, and they carry it marvelously. The way that Falk and Cassavetes build this chemistry that makes you believe they're childhood friends, while also imbuing this tension about the true motivations of each of them is stellar. Mikey is a bit pitiful and pathetic, but is he a true friend or is he looking for some payback? Nicky is erratic and ultimately an a$$hole, but at the end of the day, is his paranoia unfounded?

Both characters seem to be hanging on to the threads of a friendship that might still be there, but might as well be in their heads. May's direction is loose, but effective, giving the two actors enough space to build on these two characters. I do think there were moments where things could've been reined in a bit, help the focus of the film, but I still think it was an excellent illustration of what a friendship is, and how sometimes we hold on to those memories of the past, even if they're only in our heads.

Grade:

I also really dug that one. If you haven't yet seen it, you should check out May's The Heartbreak Kid. A bunch of us watched it on Corrie a while back and it received great feedback across the board.

I agree with your rating for Child's Play. I had one of my greatest theatrical experiences seeing it when it came out, because it had only just opened, and the session was booked out - every seat taken. Now, I don't remember what the make-up of the audience was, but whenever something scary happened the whole place screamed it's head off. That turns a horror movie into a truly scary experience - something you don't get when you watch the movie alone or with a couple of friends who have seen it before. It's why I love seeing good comedies in cinemas with a lot of people in - that laughter really adds to your perception of what's funny. No subsequent viewing of Child's Play could come close to that first experience, and I haven't seen much of the sequels. But it was great in that rollicking atmosphere. That first time the doll talks, the roof was lifted!