Mikey and Nicky *** (1976, Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, Ned Beatty) – Classic Movie Review 7221

Writer-director Elaine May signed up real-life old friends Peter Falk and John Cassavetes for her 1976 Mikey and Nicky as long-time criminal buddies Mikey and Nicky, one of whom turns out to be designated by the Mob to eliminate the other.

This shaky but entertaining character-driven crime thriller entertainment is very much in the improvisational, easy-going style of Cassavetes’s own films as director, making it a matter of taste whether audience takes to its offbeat format. But for some it will be fascinating.

Mikey and Nicky is technically very hesitant, but the amiable tale and the genial stars easily carry it. May shot more than a million feet of film and had the very difficult task of cutting the footage down to fewer than 11,000 feet for her two-hour feature. So the obvious editing problems caused a long delay before release – it was shot in 1973 but not released until 1976 – and, when it was finally released on 21 December 1976, it was not a hit.

Also in the cast are Ned Beatty, Sanford Meisner, Rose Arrick, Joyce Van Patten, William Hickey, Carol Grace, M Emmet Walsh, Peter R Scoppa, Martin Wolfson, Sy Travers and Virginia Smith.

Elaine May followed her 1970 first film A New Leaf with The Heartbreak Kid and Mikey and Nicky, but sadly only got to make four movies, after the fourth, Ishtar, crashed, losing a fortune.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7221

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