Review of Drugstore Cowboy (1989) by Jack F — 16 Mar 2008
Drugstore Cowboy dutiously avoids the easy "big emotion" moments that most movies about drug addiction bank on, so it's surprising how much it ends up affecting you once it is over. This is one of the greatest movies ever made about addiction, matching the likes of Trainspotting and Leaving Las Vegas in terms of harrowing emotional crises in its own quiet away.
The movie rests on Matt Dillon's excellent performance as Bob, the leader of the pathetic junkie bandits the plot revolves around. Kelly Lynch, James LeGros and an unbelievably young Heather Graham are also very good.
This might very well be Gus Van Sant's best movie; while it shares little stylistically with his "young and dead" trilogy this can be seen as the quintessential Van Sant film about the hopelessness of lost youth.
This review of Drugstore Cowboy (1989) was written by Jack F on 16 Mar 2008.
Drugstore Cowboy has generally received very positive reviews.
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