Pocket Money

My Favorite Lee Marvin Role
This is one of my favorite 'forgotten' movies. Paul Newman does a fine job of acting, but didn't really quite get it...this isn't HUD. But Lee Marvin got it, and got it right. If you liked him in Cat Ballou, watch this one. He deadpans a couple of classic lines in here, that will only make sense in context. Don't be surprised if you find yourself quoting Lee, "In the meantime, you got no dignity." Fine adaptation of a story by J.P.S. Brown, a great soundtrack by Carole King.

Low Expectations Pay Off
If you were sitting in the theater about thirty minutes into this film, you gotta start wondering: where the heck is this going? If you continue to watch for the pay-off (figuratively and literally) you'll wind up just like Newman and Marvin's characters--amused but unsatisfied. Pocket Money made pocket money on its release, but that's not because it isn't good. In its way, it is a real gem, especially for Newman and Marvin fans. It just requires the viewer to appreciate the journey and not the destination. If you like "slice of life" character studies, you'll rate this 5 stars; if you want action, resolution, and easy to follow plots, you'll rate this 1 star, so I figure it averages a 3.

The early 1970's produced several off-beat star power films and most of them were misfires if judged by their box-office take. Today they make a pleasant diversion for the critical filmfan amidst the unavoidable hype that surrounds even low budget "indie" films.

Pocket Money...

"You've got me, Jim." -------- A Passable, 70's Western Comedy
Director Stuart Rosenberg's Pocket Money (1972) has a lot going for it: a stellar cast, acclaimed director and vibrant photography, but the one key ingredient it's missing is a good script. The premise and performances are solid but they unfortunately can't overcome the weak screenplay and the story just never really seems to go anywhere.

The opening credits and intro to Pocket Money along with its beautifully sung title track by Carole King is promising but it loses steam quickly and one can't help but be dissappointed when it doesn't pan out and all but falls apart toward the end.

The iconic Paul Newman stars Jim Kane, a Texas cowboy/horse-broker who earns his living buy selling horses to prestigious buyers and auctioneers. Coming off the heels of his latest horse transport trip from Arizona, his latest shipment of Appaloosa horses have been deemed as temporarily too sick for sale upon bloodwork inspection and are slapped into quarantine. This puts Jim in a...

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