Straight Time

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Theresa Russell, Gary Busey, Harry Dean Stanton, M. Emmet Walsh, Rita Taggert, Kathy Bates, Sandy Baron, Jake Busey, Tina Menard
Directed by: Ulu Grosbard
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1978

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Dustin Hoffman) gets out of prison on parole and struggles to stay on the straight path and away from his previous life of crime.

Review:

Tim: 1978's Straight Time is an interesting film. It feels like a small movie that packs an outsized punch. I felt a lot of different emotions as I watched it. At first, I was really connecting with it and thoroughly enjoying it. The narrative takes some unexpected turns, and I wasn't quite connecting with some of the choices it made. In the end, I liked the movie, but it feels like a few flaws prevent it from achieving its full potential. It's good, it's worthwhile, but it certainly has some issues.

The beginning of the film feels the best to me. We meet Max Dembo as he gets out of prison. Dustin Hoffman plays with with a bit of a faraway stare- this is a man who has suffered, who is currently transitioning from a rigid, restrictive life in jail, back to the real world. This is a fascinating subject- what prison does to you, how we bring people back into society. You can see moments of elation in Max, moments of consternation, and then, the mounting outrage at how he is treated. As you might expect, a convict being released isn't given carte blanche. There's a process, there's check-ins, there's still rules and regulations that Max has to follow. This is where the movie is at its best- we almost see the good angel and the bad devil on his shoulders, as he's trying to navigate this new life. He seems determined to go straight- but, he has to find a place to live and a job to support him. Along the way, he has to swallow his pride. There's a big difference between being a criminal on the run, a prison inmate, and a man stepping back onto the lowest rung of society. You think about this man, his pride, his self-worth. None of this is an easy journey. It gets more complicated by decisions Max makes- to reconnect with a old pal from his criminal days, to connect with a pretty girl who might just be his salvation. All these decisions lead to other decisions, and you feel like you're watching a man on the very edge- one wrong (or right move) could push him on the straight and narrow for good, or it could plunge him back into a life of crime.

While watching all this, I was riveted and I felt engrossed in this story. It felt heartbreaking at times. I'm not sure how to finish this review without a SPOILER, so I'd likely stop reading if you haven't seen this movie yet. In the film, a series of events- some within Max's control, some without, create a situation where he is put back in prison, temporarily. This is the critical event- can he shake off this setback, or will it doom him? From this point on, the movie takes a turn that I felt wasn't quite as effective. Max's decision and how that puts him on a specific path felt a bit too rushed, a bit too forced- he seems to move too quickly. The path of the latter half of the movie was increasingly frustrating to watch. The story itself was wonderful, it's just the execution of it that lacks a bit. I never quite believed this was the same Max we were watching. His behavior feels a tad too extreme. I loved the story the movie told, just not specifically how it was told.

As you might expect, Dustin Hoffman is excellent as Max. Hoffman is a great actor, we all know this- but he never seems to get the credit he deserves. I mean, I like Hoffman a lot- but I'd never consider him one of my favorite actors and when I consider the best actors of all time, his name rarely pops in my head. This feels like an affront to a consistently great actor. The script (and the direction) doesn't always help him, but he gives a performance that feels stark, dangerous. He's really effective at conveying this man on the edge of both salvation and damnation. He's terrific in this role.

I thought Theresa Russell was quite effective, too. At first, I wasn't convinced- she might not have immense talent as an actress, but I thought she brought authenticity to this role. She's not slick in her acting, but she brings this nervous, naive girl to life. As the film progressed, I really did care about this woman and the situation she gets herself into. Russell was better than I originally gave her credit for, and I believe she makes the movie better. Gary Busey was solid in his supporting role. He's ideal at hitting this point between likeability and being quite unlikable. He nailed that here. It was fun seeing Kathy Bates in a small role. I thought M. Emmet Walsh was tremendous- Walsh was one of the best of all time of being this likeable person who reveled in playing unlikable characters. You can't help but smile when you see Walsh in a film like this, but he sets in motion some of the worst moments of Max's life. I thought Walsh was excellent, taking up a lot of space in a subtle way (I know that seems contradictory). His performance was one of the best in the film. I also need to give immense credit to Harry Dean Stanton. Stanton is another actor I continually overlook. I know he's a talented actor, but he always exists on the margins of films. His performance here is a reminder that I need to stop overlooking him. He brings something remarkable to this film- it's this blend of being just charismatic enough that you like him, yet a slightly off-putting edge to him. He's surprisingly the voice of reason at times, and he's authentic enough in the role that you're interested in what his character is doing on screen. I found him one of the most compelling aspects of this film.

Man, as I'm raving about this cast, I admit I feel a little bad that my rating isn't a tad higher. I did think this movie would hit 7.5 for much of the runtime. I'm going to stay firm, though. The first half of the movie is wonderful, but it feels like it loses some momentum and believability in the second half. I know there were issues with Hoffman and the studio (he was also originally hired to direct the film, but stepped away from that role after the first day), specifically around final cut. I have to believe that a better movie was possible here. Still, I really did enjoy the film- I loved the realistic look at Max- he never feels like a Hollywood creation, but an authentic look at flawed, challenging human beings. There's a real tragedy to his story, one that could have been avoided had society been better at reintegrating criminals back into the world at large. These themes are present, but the flare of the back half of the movie blinds us a bit to the deeper messages. Still, Straight Time is a movie worth seeing and I really enjoyed it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Midnight Cowboy, Papillon, Marathon Man