I just came from a screening of King of the Corner that Peter Riegert hosted and it was a pleasure to see a film with good acting and an emphasis on a believable plot with very ordinary people who are identifiable characters.
On the way home from the screening, the best comparison I could come up with is Marty. Another small budget film which made it by word of mouth and resulted in Oscars awarded to it. Also about New York urban characters who lead ordinary lives.
Both Ernest Borgnine's Marty and Peter Riegert's Leo Spevak are in middle age and life has not quite turned out the way they had hoped for. Marty is dealing with his mother and Leo with his father. However Leo is also dealing with crises with his marriage, his child and his job.
Leo makes some dumb moves, but it's how everything is resolved that is the crux of the story. I won't give the ending away, but let us say that things work out on some fronts and the jury is still out on other's.
Soon to be 90 year old Eli Wallach plays Peter Riegert's father and he does it with zest. He's a former traveling salesman, Willy Loman if Willy had lived long enough to retire and hit senior citizenry. I hope word of mouth gets out about this and some drums get beating for a Supporting Actor Oscar for Mr. Wallach.
The rest of the cast fit their roles nicely. I would also single out Harris Yulin as Peter Riegert's boss. Mr. Yulin has never gotten his just due. He's delivered some fine performances over the years and this one is one of his best.
By all means go out and see this film, it would well worth your while.
On the way home from the screening, the best comparison I could come up with is Marty. Another small budget film which made it by word of mouth and resulted in Oscars awarded to it. Also about New York urban characters who lead ordinary lives.
Both Ernest Borgnine's Marty and Peter Riegert's Leo Spevak are in middle age and life has not quite turned out the way they had hoped for. Marty is dealing with his mother and Leo with his father. However Leo is also dealing with crises with his marriage, his child and his job.
Leo makes some dumb moves, but it's how everything is resolved that is the crux of the story. I won't give the ending away, but let us say that things work out on some fronts and the jury is still out on other's.
Soon to be 90 year old Eli Wallach plays Peter Riegert's father and he does it with zest. He's a former traveling salesman, Willy Loman if Willy had lived long enough to retire and hit senior citizenry. I hope word of mouth gets out about this and some drums get beating for a Supporting Actor Oscar for Mr. Wallach.
The rest of the cast fit their roles nicely. I would also single out Harris Yulin as Peter Riegert's boss. Mr. Yulin has never gotten his just due. He's delivered some fine performances over the years and this one is one of his best.
By all means go out and see this film, it would well worth your while.