Midnight Cowboy

As far as I could tell this film wasn't just about crapping on the American Dream but all such dreams of transcending the squalor that could befall any optimistic individual desiring a life where the grass is potentially greener.

After a bumpy start our two protagonists, Joe Buck and Ratso/Rizzo/Riccoz, form an unlikely and yet endearing relationship as they crawl their way through the harshness of New York City on the streets. One a "cowboy" from Texas with dreams of grandeur and a horrifying past and the other a snake of a man with sharp edges who's already resigned to a life of destitution.

There were a number of sequences that are typical of how film makers simulate psychedelic sequences mixed with reveries of past traumas, dreams of the future and clever editing in real time that both men experienced throughout the story. They created a sense of unease which landed well with the narrative but then again they did feel a little too self indulgent at times as well as a little confusing. Gaspar Noé would be proud.

The perfomances were immersive and the comically fragmented interactions between the two protagonists lended a fragility to the saga that shook me a little when Rizzo died. Joe's childlike optimism seemed dented as doubt crept into his affirmation of a new, fruitful start in Miami, away from the drudgery of hustling in the Big Apple.

Ultimately I felt a little drained and headachey by the time the end credits rolled. Not a bad film by any standards but it has left a bitter taste in my mouth much similar to that of Withnail and I but with far fewer laughs and quotable lines.

2 and half smashed coconuts out of 5