I'd been looking for this movie years. Sure, I think it's just as funny as the next guy that a movie called "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" is itself hard to find . . . but in any event, to the dear sir or madam that recently uploaded this to YouTube, my sincerest thanks.
It took me a few hours after the credits rolled to fully come to grips with the movie, but I do like it. And it's absolutely worthy of anyone's time for Diane Keaton's performance, alone. It's actually chock-full of familiar faces, but all of this rides on her. Keaton's hedonistic character is layered, playful, sometimes surprisingly naive, but she commands your attention. And a lot of the shock here derives from her career as a school teacher with her nights spent perusing the seedy nightlife. But she's very sympathetic in the classroom, particularly her scenes with Amy, her less-fortunate student (compassion blooms herein).
***SPOILERS*** It's the ending I had trouble processing., because it does leave an empty feeling. But it is also a genuine shock - the kind you don't see every day, and surprising for a 40 year-old movie that does aim to unnerve. You think it's Richard Gere who'll be bringing about the tragic ending, but oh no . . . it's something else entirely. It's tricky for a movie to still awe like this after so many intervening (not to mention desensitizing) years, but go ahead: try to get that closing image out of your head. Not as easy as you'd think and that's saying something.
7/10
It took me a few hours after the credits rolled to fully come to grips with the movie, but I do like it. And it's absolutely worthy of anyone's time for Diane Keaton's performance, alone. It's actually chock-full of familiar faces, but all of this rides on her. Keaton's hedonistic character is layered, playful, sometimes surprisingly naive, but she commands your attention. And a lot of the shock here derives from her career as a school teacher with her nights spent perusing the seedy nightlife. But she's very sympathetic in the classroom, particularly her scenes with Amy, her less-fortunate student (compassion blooms herein).
***SPOILERS*** It's the ending I had trouble processing., because it does leave an empty feeling. But it is also a genuine shock - the kind you don't see every day, and surprising for a 40 year-old movie that does aim to unnerve. You think it's Richard Gere who'll be bringing about the tragic ending, but oh no . . . it's something else entirely. It's tricky for a movie to still awe like this after so many intervening (not to mention desensitizing) years, but go ahead: try to get that closing image out of your head. Not as easy as you'd think and that's saying something.
7/10