Review of Bone (1972) by Greg N — 16 Mar 2009

Before Larry Cohen wrote and directed such groundbreaking and exploitative fare like Gold Told Me To, Q: The Winged Serpent, or It's Alive, he made his auspicious debut about a rich, yuppie Beverly Hills couple (Andrew Duggan and Joyce Van Patten in startlingly good roles) whose day is rudely interrupted by the brutish and intimidating black man named Bone (dare I say an Oscar-worthy performance from Yaphet Kotto?) whose thought to be an exterminator when he strangles and removes a live rat from their pool, but is actually a ruthless burglar/rapist who has targeted this couple.

I could be wrong, but the viewer is supposed to sympathize with the married couple (who are each ruthless and just as corrupted in their own small ways) and hate Bone, when in all actuality, all 3 characters are quite unlikable, but you are driven to them and you can't turn away from their actions (which are generally surprising when given the circumstances they are all in).

There is also a terrific performance from a woman named Jeannie Berlin who plays The Girl, a woman the husband runs into and befriends while he's supposed to be out emptying his bank account while Bone holds his wife hostage.

Berlin damn near steals the entire movie away with her oddball and somewhat unnecessary performance. All of the film's tension and suspense leads towards an unbelievable ending that is brutally honest and tragically humorous, especially given the times we live in in terms of race relations.

Power and sometimes absurd black comedy, and an excellent debut from Cohen.