HARRY IN YOUR POCKET (1972):
Starring: James Coburn, Michael Sarrazin, Walter Pidgeon and Trish Van Devere
Directed by: Bruce Geller
Talk about blast from the past seeing these great actors in a movie together really top the charts. The story is a little trite but the acting and directing makes up for it. Seeing the old cars, gas prices and mini skirts shouts for a return of the 70’s.
Ray (Sarrazin) meets Sandy (Van Devere) in a bus station during an amateur session of pick pocketing. The bungling thief fascinates Sandy and when they bump into each other she doesn’t resist his offer of getting together. After an adventurous few days they get a tip that a pro is looking for workers. They meet with Casey (Pidgeon) who introduces them to Harry (Coburn) a master of pick pocketing. When Harry starts to take a different kind of interest in Sandy, things start to get sloppy.
It is great seeing some of the best actors ever to work on the big screen. Starting with James Coburn (172 titles) who made the jump from 1950’s TV to movie theatres with the likes of The Great Escape along side Steve McQueen, Charade with Cary Grant and the spy comedy Our Man Flint. In 1999 he won an Oscar for Best Actor in the movie Affliction.
Walter Pidgeon with 134 titles and two Oscar nominations played along side Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl, Michael Sarrazin 68 titles including The Reincarnation of Peter Proud and Trish Van Devere 28 titles nominated for a Golden Globe for Two is a Happy Number have had stellar careers and show it in Harry In Your Pocket.
Harry In Your Pocket is a one time fun watch and a nostalgic view of lifestyles during a great decade. (B-)
LAWS OF GRAVITY (1992)
Starring: Peter Greene, Adam Trese, Paul Schulze and Edie Falco
Directed by: Nick Gomez
Raw, crazy and out of control Laws of Gravity takes you into the lives of lowlifes. It’s the kind of film that fascinates while entertaining with a gut-wrenching story that digs deep down in the lives of street-smart crooks. I like the film very much and highly recommend it for crime film lovers.
The film centers on a couple of petty thieves Jimmy (Greene) and Jon (Trese) who live off the streets shoplifting, selling stolen goods and drinking at their favorite bar. Ex-con and old friend Frankie (Schulze) shows up in town after a long absence offering Jimmy a chance to make some big money selling his hot handguns. Frankie gets into a fix and needs a place to live so Jimmy takes him to his place that he shares with Denise. When Jon gets thrown in Jail over a domestic dispute, Jimmy ‘borrows’ Frankie’s guns to score bail.
I like the way Gomez directs this film choosing backstreet locations and a seedy bar where a lot of the action takes place. It’s Brooklyn in the time of Italian dominance and laws of the street. His camera catches the grit and mayhem between friends and foes as Jimmy deals with the problems that get more violent as the story progresses.
The coolness in this film is seeing a great performance by a young Edie Falco who has won two golden globes for the Sopranos. You can see the value of this film in her transition to the HBO Italian crime show. She’s had a long and successful career with memorable films like; Random Hearts, Freedomland and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie.
This film goes straight into my nostalgia collection. (B+)
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
