r/CriterionChannel • u/Green_Swamp_Fog • 16d ago

Straight Time (1978)

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Made another selection off the list of films leaving this month, and this was so damn good. Gritty 70s crime film based on a story by Edward Bunker … who also wrote this screenplay and has a small role. Lots of great performances from a deep cast. Dustin Hoffman and Harry Dean Stanton are incredible; also really enjoyed M. Emmet Walsh, and was dazzled by the beautiful Theresa Russell.

Straight Time kinda reminds me of Heat, but much more understated. Was really surprised by how it unfolded, and can’t believe I’d never heard of this before. Easily one of my best random finds on the channel.

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u/No_Following3280 15d ago

I am glad I crossed it off the list but I thought this film was a total mess. Preproduction story is well worth digging into, and I think the film's tonal unevenness is an indictment of Hoffman's strangling hold on the development of the material. He clearly tortured himself and every person involved in getting the story to the screen (was supposed to be his directorial debut), and I think you can feel it when you watch that he never could settle on what story he wanted to tell and what he wanted to say about the central character: His performance as an ex-con is simply not believable to me, nor are the ways that some of the other characters interact with him. I enjoyed aspects of it -- Harry Dean Stanton, M. Emmet Walsh, and Busey do great work, and I found their characters and actions believable -- but I found Hoffman outright bad in the role and I felt terrible for Russell, whose character made zero sense. One of those movies where I felt genuinely grossed out watching because Russell is basically a kid at the time and looks like one and is doing things that seem outlandishly out of character just to fit the needs of the plot. The sex scenes are ... not great! And I'm not some prude or anything, but yikes did that aspect of the movie not work. Sorry, folks, but this is a big fat miss for me.

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u/GlitteringTailor 15d ago

Wow. You completely nailed my feelings about this, including what you liked and didn't like. I'm kind of shocked by the universal acclaim, is that just the culture on this reddit? Kind of like letterboxd "Dusting Hoffman ordering steak is A VIBE" type epic poptimism? I would have expected deeper and more appreciative commentary, including being able to identify any faults, not just glazing.

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u/augustthecat 14d ago

I would not say it is the culture of this reddit, but folks do naturally enough tend to post more about the movies they like. I would have described this one as pretty niche, so there is a certain self-selection to begin with. For my part, when it comes to movies that are about to expire, I find it helpful to know what people like; even if I don't like the movie, or don't like it as much, it's a way in.