A tale of wasted potential designed to be identified with. What does what should have happened matter when what is happening, is happening?

I'm currently working my way through Criterion's BBS Story set, and this is the first movie in it to knock me off my feet. People point to Easy Rider as the one that marked a turn for American cinema, but I'd argue Five Easy Pieces is that film - it's genuine and human and sad and a little frustrating. But it delivers in subtle ways throughout that I don't think many mainstream American films achieved prior and it culminates in an ending that's nothing short of perfect in my eyes.

Nicholson's rogue character is interesting and he delivers an impressive performance, but he's so damn introvert and the whole slow paced and disjointed 70s-modernistic thing reminded me of Cassavetes' A Woman Under The Influence... and not in a good way.

Great, colorful stuff. It makes me wonder how crazy Bergman-directed Nicholson would be, but that might just be me.

It might be that Nicholson's character reminds one to much of one self and the struggle to find consistent pleasure in what one has, and stop reaching out towards what's not there (yet). Still, I couldn't help feeling that this was Nicholson - not a character. This is great tabu, and I will be hated, but honestly, I'm beginning to get a bit tired of his acting as his grim smile and sarcastic temper seems to flow through all his films, unchanged. Still: impressive and others have mentioned why.

Nicholson is great once again, playing a character I really enjoyed watching. Great dialogue and character interactions, very believable. Quickly has become one of my favorites. The diner scene is one of the greatest things ever filmed.

To the quick, judgmental eye Bob is a bitter arsehole. But it's the last few bittersweet scenes, his apology for the past he ran away from and the bright future he never met & his complete rejection of his aristocratic family and their mundane and utterly unemotional lives and frustration for his current life that sums him up brilliantly. His blunt honesty shines through, and you can see it in his "love" for Cathy & his escape that his intention is not desolation, but one of being free.

Nicholson's nuanced performance as Bobby Dupea--and of course Rafelson's expert direction--hold this episodic film together. Dupea is a fascinating--although not easily likable--character, and the film makes us care about his journey of self-discovery and his continual refusal to be satisfied with every opportunity he is given for achievement or for love.

Eu não costumo lembrar o início ou o fim dos filmes que assisto, apenas guardo os mais marcantes. O desfecho desse certamente impregnou-se em mim, como em "O Céu de Suely", "Cachè" e "Mother". A última cena carrega uma simbologia que perpassa todo o filme; é paradoxalmente bruto e nebuloso e suave.

This film has a story very simple, but it is much more than it appears. The character of Jack Nicholson is very interesting, deep, funny and full of inner conflicts. The role is perfect for him and he is amazing. Great movie.

A rather great film, though the crass hitchhiking sequence can't help but detract from the film's intelligently handled look at regret, loss and having no place to call your own.

Robert's an interesting character because he's so flawed. He' does so many things that are wrong, but I got the impression that he's still trying to be good in some way. Sometimes you just get stuck in a strange place in life. Anyways, the natural look of the film has a comforting quality, and it's just a nicely played character-driven story. Lots of funny moments, too.

Well this was a nice way to end 2011, that diner scene is amazing.

Well-done

This is everything that the English Kitchen Sink dramas should have been.

The film that brought the wandering character study to the mainstream still holds up today because it gives us a great character to work with. And Nicholson plays it with just enough sympathy that we keep watching, no matter what terrible things he says and does. There's been many such character studies since this one, but because of those two factors this still remains one of the best.

Quite possibly the most boring, dull, ridiculous, idiotic, asinine, pointless crap I've ever seen. Is this the prequel to "There Will be Blood"? It's even more boring than that, but I can see the strong influences.

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