Smoke
by Paul Aster
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ashley Judd, Forest Whitaker, Harvey Keitel, Stockhard Channing, William HurtDirector: Paul Aster
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
Producer: Greg Johnson
Producer: Peter Newman
Producer: Kenzo Horikoshi
Producer: Hisami Kuroiwa
Writer: Wayne Wang
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 1 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2012-01-06
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Smoke
Movie Review: SMOKE Gets In Your Eyes--And Your Heart
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently programmed an at-home double feature consisting of SMOKE and GOING MY WAY. Not exactly an obvious pairing, you might say, but they went together surprisingly well and served as proof positive that I like my sentiment with a dollop of metropolitan grit (or in the case of SMOKE, more than a dollop).
SMOKE has long numbered among my 10 or 20 favorite films. It's difficult to say just why I haven't posted a review of it until now. Perhaps because it is so rich, I have avoided taking on the task of explaining its impact to on me to others. SMOKE has a hold on me that few others do, but (for once) I'm at something of a loss to explain it. Which is odd in a way--because I think it has something to do with the way we communicate with each other or fail to. The dialog in the movie, for the most part, rings truer than in most movies--even most GOOD movies.
That doesn't mean that all this authentic talk is meaningful communication. These are regular Joe's (and a few Joannes) who aren't much into "sharing." That's not to imply that their verbal exchanges are meaningless, but when they're talking sports or cigars, they're doing what the composer of Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" described so aptly when referring to "folks shakin'hands, sayin' 'How do you do?" They really are kinda sorta saying, "I love you."
But we don't want to get too schmaltzy here. SMOKE gets in your eyes, and in your heart, by employing such time honored devices as allowing its characters to keep their rough-edged exteriors, but letting the audience see their soft hearts underneath. Take the two father-child reunion sub-plots. The father-son re-encounter (the one that ultimately succeeds) contrasts sharply with the father-daughter(?) reunion that, for all intents and purposes, seems like a total failure. But even in that tragic instance, there may be a grain hope tucked away, thanks to the selflessness of a man who really doesn't believe that he is this lost girl's biological father. His willingness to come to the aide of a young woman who is likely NOT his flesh and blood speaks volumes about the true meaning of "charity." It takes a village--and sometimes it takes a borough.
It bothers me somewhat that the film in its DVD and VHS format seems to have been marketed as a laff-riot comedy. I don't recall if that was true when it was in theatrical release, but whatever the case, it's a big mistake. The cheery illustration of Keitel, flanked by a healthy-looking Ashley Judd and a sexy Stockard Channing, belies the movie's harsher reality. Yes, SMOKE does offer a few laughs, but they are hard won and even a little bitter. The tagline "Where's there's SMOKE, there's laughter..." isn't even half the story. There are tears too, of course. And there's cold reality staring you in the face. And there are some real "mensches" out there who help make it all bearable.
Summary of Smoke
In the tradition of The Big Chill? William Hurt (Changing Lanes, Tuck Everlasting) and Harvey Keitel (Pulp Fiction, U-571) head an all-star cast in this unforgettably fun and entertaining motion picture! A group of people's lives intertwine when a New York cigar store manager, Auggie (Keitel), befriends them. Among them is a writer... who can't write (Hurt), a reluctant father... hiding from his past (Forest Whitaker- Panic Room), a streetwise teen... with an unusual identity crisis, and Auggie's long-lost ex-girlfriend (Stockard Channing- TV's THe West Wing, Life or Something Like It)... who returns with some surprising news! Critics and audiences hailed SMOKE for its offbeat humor, unexpected wit and dazzling performances- you'll cheer it too!This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
It's refreshing to see a film in which the writer receives equal credit with the director, showing that the dialogue actually means something. So it is with Smoke, a film about a New York quilt of contemporary characters who cross paths in a corner smoke shop, told in straightforward way by a talented acting group. Author Paul Auster and director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) worked on the story for years before it reached the screen. Their characters include Paul (William Hurt, in a good role again), a grief-stricken novelist; Auggie (Harvey Keitel), the shop's owner with a secret passion; Ruby (Stockard Channing), Auggie's long-ago girlfriend; and Rashid (Harold Perrineau Jr.), a teenager who is befriended by Paul and seeks his estranged father (Forest Whitaker). All the characters are great storytellers, whether it be out of loneliness, necessity, or just nature. Like Auster's The Music of Chance, the movie has accomplished an amazing feat: it makes us feel as if we are reading a serious novel, not watching a movie. --Doug Thomas
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