Review of Five Easy Pieces (1970) by Adam Z — 15 Sep 2007

For some reason whilst watching this film I was reminded of 'Badlands', but for a while could not figure why. The two films follow completely different threads, but then it occured to me: both pictures are filled with the same introspective yearning, it's just that 'Badlands' gives it to you on the surface as narrated by Sissy Spacek, and 'Five Easy Pieces' allows you to read it from Nicholson's reactions to everything.

Dissatisfied with both the life he was once offered, and the life he now leads, Nicholson's protagonist really doesn't know which way to turn now in his advancing years. The rest of the cast are pretty good, but the lead pretty much owns the film, and there are several memorable scenes which will live in the mind of the film-goer for years after seeing it.

A much underrated experience.