Straight Time is a straight A. Incredible film really, from a pretty basic, crook has difficulty adjusting to life out of prison, it very quickly becomes something deeper with multiple levels of a life of crime and romance. Hoffman is great and I'm dumbfounded he didn't get a nomination for this, or the film itself even, direction is top notch and it's got a lovely tune of a soundtrack. At the very least the script should have been credited too, as it lays the base for the film with just superb characters. It's never flashly mob-style crime or violence, but amateur and nervous events of breaking the law that are captivating to focus on. Besides Hoffman, Theresa Russell is excellent and gorgeous too as his love interest, she's just the perfect girlfriend really. With in addition good supporting roles for Dean Stanton and Busey the film's just got everything going for it. I haven't seen many '78 or even 70's films, but this mesmerized me as one of the best its era.

A

Straight Time

Another installment in the infallible body of work that is 1970s Dustin Hoffman movies. It's not a masterpiece, and I don't think it was made to be one, but it is an engrossing crime drama. One that you do not see at all anymore. Then again that's pretty much true of all 70s films regarding a whole host of factors. But the way they just allow actors to do what they're good at without needing to chop away 50 times or jazz it up with effects and a score is commendable, and really allows a viewer time to soak up scenery and atmosphere. It's simply 'place the camera on those guys for 4 minutes and let them work', and that's the scene! That's five percent of the film made in half a day's shooting. And nothing is lost from doing it that way either. One of the best things about Straight Time is being able to see 1977 America. The architecture, the billboards, the fashion, the phone boxes, the cars, the amount of space everywhere...it's way more fascinating than a documentary! Anyway, the film starts off as a social commentary on ex-cons, which is really interesting. Then it U-turns into more formulaic armed robbery territory and, while still exciting, is less interesting. But by that time you're already invested. The love interest, Theresa Russell, is beautiful, but her character is empty, and I was disappointed not to see M. Emmet Walsh again after his embarrassing freeway incident.

Anyway, it's damn fine film, and comparing it to another 1978 film I recently saw, The Driver, you really see the difference that an accomplished leading man brings to a feature.

A-

Apparently Dustin Hoffman started as director of this film, but gave up, so they called in Ulu Grosbard. I wonder if Hoffman recommended him as his replacement. He had worked with him twice before.