Mikey and Nicky (1976)

Director:

Elaine May

Writer:

Elaine May (writer)

Release Date:

21 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In the mob you trust no one. Not even your best friend.

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Gritty | Gangster | Betrayal | On The Run | Overcoat

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Mikey
John Cassavetes	...	Nicky Godalin
Ned Beatty	...	Kinney
Rose Arrick	...	Annie
Carol Grace	...	Nellie
William Hickey	...	Sid Fine
Sanford Meisner	...	Dave Resnick
Joyce Van Patten	...	Jan
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Bus Driver
Sy Travers	...	Hotel Clerk
Peter R. Scoppa	...	Counter Man
Virginia Smith	...	Jan's Mother
Jean Shevlin	...	Lady on Bus
Danny Klein	...	Harry
Martin Wolfson	...	Candy Store Man

Runtime:

119 min | Canada:106 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Mikey is in the street picking up pieces of his watch, multiple crew members are behind him ducking behind bushes and moving around the 1 hr 9 min mark.

Quotes:

Nicky: It's very hard to talk to a dead person. I have nothing in common.

Movie Connections:

References The Laughing Policeman (1973)

MIKEY AND NICKY (Elaine May, 1976) **1/2

A strange film to come from a woman film-maker and one best-known for comedy at that; its rough, intense quality makes it feel more like one of co-star John Cassavetes' own radical works and, in fact, around this same time made one of his finest films - THE KILLING OF A Chinese BOOKIE (1976) - which incidentally also deals with the trials and tribulations of a small-time crook (played by Ben Gazzara) who unwisely takes on the mob.

The film under review is buoyed by two excellent performances from Peter Falk and Cassavetes who, for the most part, are the only people on screen; however, Ned Beatty is also notable as a beleaguered hit-man.The film, however, can't make up its mind whether to be an existential neo-noir gangster melodrama or a perverse, eccentric inversion of a "buddy" movie!

Cassavetes' come-uppance at the very end is arguably the film's highlight and, interestingly, it was shot by veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard who, among others, had previously shot THE RISE AND FALL OF LEGS DIAMOND (1960) a fine gangster picture and Budd Boetticher's Hollywood swan song. May herself would go on to direct just one more film, the unfairly maligned ISHTAR (1987; see review above); having watched her delightful debut, A NEW LEAF (1971; in which she also starred), I've only got THE HEARTBREAK KID (1972) left to catch up with (though I did miss a number of Cable TV screenings over here several years ago).