Review of Straight Time (1978) by Joe M — 24 Jul 2007

With his take on the opportunistic derelict Max Dembo, Hoffman solidifies his position in my mind as the most versatile leading men in the history of film. His performance gives a solid but nothing special script and mediocrely directed film the gravitas of some of the best films from an era that spawned some of American cinema's finest. Yet it remains a hidden gem, though not without reason.

The fact that the screenplay and book on which it was based was written by a man who spent the majority of the first third of his life behind bars lends the characters an authenticity not found in many other crime films. However, this fact is also made apparent in the few plot holes and sudden, open-ended but without reason finale. I suppose the point was to convey the idea that for some, the first crime is only the first in a series over a lifetime - an inescapable downward spiral. That point was well made, the problem being that the ending comes out of nowhere and leaves the audience very unsatisfied with who has been such a striking screen presence up to that point. Bunker abandons his character in order to give a greater message. I'm sure he felt he served a greater purpose by doing this, interviews with real bank robbers attest to this, but authenticity can only take a film so far. And that's probably why this film, though a highlight in Hoffman's career, isn't so widely known as one of the golden age's best.

Finally, it was interesting to see that Kathy Bates was once kind of cute.