Review of American Graffiti (1973) by Bernie M — 03 Jul 2015
That one time that George Lucas tried to work in the world of human beings on a recognizable 20th century Earth-realm, American Graffiti. It was better than I remembered. Consistently funny, tough but at times tender, and by switching between the four characters you get enough of each one every five minutes and can check on what's going on with the other. It's like four guys telling you what happened the next day - or ten years later, or 50 years later - but with a level of coherence that's deceptively simple.
Not every line or gag works wholly, but so many do and the performances are so charming and appealing that it's impossible to think that the same director would go on to the career he did. That soundtrack makes it a musical where the songs inform the action - the one time Lucas came close to being like his contemporary Scorsese - and they're all pretty much killer. Yes, even Surfin' Safari. And the way that it ends with the Beach Boys' after those final title cards on the characters makes it profound and bittersweet. In 12 hours you get a full life, or lives.
And we've been having fun all summer loooonnggg...
PS: Harrison Ford - dare I say as bad-ass as Han Solo with half the screen-time?
This review of American Graffiti (1973) was written by Bernie M on 03 Jul 2015.
American Graffiti has generally received very positive reviews.
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