MoeFOH's Movie of the Week... Week #3...

[MoeFOH]

MoeFOH's Movie of the Week 🎥

Each week we're going to spotlight a movie... be it a classic, new release, hidden gem, or outright turd... and open it for discussion: i.e. post up your favourite quotes, clips, memories... or dive deeper and give us a critique on why you think it's great, overrated, or a complete train wreck... And finally score it for us...  

All contributors go into a monthly prize draw for a 3-cigar sampler! 

PM me with suggestions if there's a movie you want to nominate for next week's discussion. 

 

Week #3: Smoke.

This week, we're looking at the 1995, somewhat appropriately named, film Smoke, which stars the late great William Hurt along with the likes of Harvey Keitel, Forrest Whitaker, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing... A movie compromised of a series of interconnected stories with a NY cigar store at its centre...

I've not seen this one but it was recommended to me by Paul @Arctic Dude. Thanks Paul.

A little research tells me it seems to resonate very positively with viewers and was pretty well received critically as well. I'm going to try and track it down this week for a viewing. 

Over to you...

Have you seen it? Do you rate it? Why or why not?

Best moments?... etc, and so on... post 'em up!!

If you've seen it, give us your score out of 10!

[MoeFOH]

 

[Chibearsv]

Never heard of that one. Nice cast though. I’ll give it a look if it’s findable. 

[Fuzz]

Does the movie open with the Surgeon General's health warning?

[Chibearsv]

It’s available free on showtime for subscribers or on Amazon for a rental fee. I’ll give it a watch one of these evenings. 

[Ford2112]

Never even heard of this!

[Arctic Dude]

 

[Arctic Dude]

William Hurt…such a great actor in a beautifully quiet movie. I love that opening sequence in the smoke shop. To me, that’s what it’s all about…shooting the shit with some people you don’t know, with everyone there to indulge their love of the leaf. 

[PuroDiario]

Gustavo from Braking Bad before Gustavo, such a good cast and also Burke. It’s a slow and profound movie, about the value of slowing down. I really like it, from another time when not all required sex and explosions and masked men in leggings to sell.

[yossie]

I think I did but maybe wrong. Was the movie about people around tobacco store?

[gormag38]

hmmmm. Never have seen this one, but looks like something that I could get into. I think the wife has a showtime account so I'll try and give it a watch this weekend. 

[joeypots]

It's a quiet movie if I remember correctly. I remember Harvey's photography hobby and the Cuban cigar scenes the best.

[Arctic Dude]

Overall, I would rate this movie an 8/10.  Much of it plays like it could be a theatrical production for the stage, with beautiful moments between many of the characters.  Specifically, watching the scenes with Harvey Keitel and William Hurt are a showcase of subtleties and nuance in acting, with no need for histrionics and over-the-top scene stealing.  Even the direction keeps things simple.  The opening scene in the smoke shop, with William Hurt talking about the weight of smoke, has no need for the camera to jump around.  Even though a few of the others characters speak, the camera is just fixed on Hurt while he delivers his monologue.  It's all about the story telling (and in this film William Hurt's character, Paul, is a writer).  In this time of comic book movies reigning supreme, it is nice to watch a film that's all about human connection and simple storytelling.  My other favorite scenes in the movie are the scene where Paul (William Hurt) and Auggie (Harvey Keitel) look through Auggie's photo albums; the scene where Paul (William Hurt) tells Thomas (Harold Perrineau) about a skier who has a father younger than the skier himself; and the scene where Auggie shares a Christmas story with Paul.