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Mikey and Nicky
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Mikey and Nicky

1976
Drama
1h 46m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 69.17% from 428 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(428)
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Rated 29 Mar 2012
85
95th
Phenomenal. A raw force of nature, some of the most complex and captivating characters put on film. I love the low-fi style, and the laborious editing paid off as each scene stands on its own and ratchets up the tension.
Rated 03 Feb 2019
80
92nd
May's short lived career as a director was deeply unfortunate. While M+N is undeniably similar to Cassavetes Husbands, it's a less flabby affair with an appealing looseness that gives the performances a comparable 'in-the-moment' intensity that May handles with supreme skill. Cassavetes and Falk are superb as two life long friends whose volatile exchanges drive the push-pull dynamic of a fractured friendship that's constantly in flux, and May's dialogue crackles with insight and nerve.
Rated 03 Feb 2019
86
89th
A potent and deeply sad portrayal of the ultra-masculine wise guys that we are so familiar with but with a new lens. The drama is intense and both leads are fantastic. It isn't easy to watch these two grapple with betrayal but May's depiction of toxic masculinity was way ahead of its time.
Rated 18 Apr 2008
99
99th
I love crime movies. It's a special treat, though, to find one with a different perspective. The plot of this film could have made for a fine thriller, but instead we have a brilliant, tense drama, and to tell the way it's done is to spoil the mystery that makes the film work so well to begin with. I can say that Falk and Cassavetes are very entertaining. The cinematography is outstanding, too.
Rated 23 Aug 2020
80
88th
Mikey and Assholey
Rated 19 Apr 2008
60
21st
Maybe should be called Mikey & Beatnicky. Still, not as bad in that regard as Cassavetes things usually are (maybe because it isn't being directed by him). Both leads are very good indeed; but inevitably comes across as just another wandering aimless 70s thing. Beatty was giving me casting concerns, but he comes off better toward the end (especially when detailing his humdrum assassin's woes to Falk). Worst scene is the interminable thing at the hooker's place--indulgence personified.
Rated 18 Nov 2007
88
56th
Interesting casting here, including Walter Matthau's wife Carol and Martin Balsam's ex-wife Joyce in key roles.
Rated 04 Jul 2011
80
91st
Aside from its mild likeness to Peter Yates' "The Friends of Eddie Coyle", Mikey and Nicky is basically the John Cassavetes film that wasn't made by John Cassavetes. I say this with the utmost respect for Elaine May, who wrote and directed this facilitation of Cassavetes and Falk. I have to add that had the directing credit belonged to the man who influenced this film, this would have been remembered as one of his finer works, or at least well above his average.
Rated 30 Sep 2016
91
93rd
The relationship between these two is so strange and almost unidentifiable, yet it's palpable due to how strongly authentic and convincing these characters are, and that's helped by May's unorthodox directing style (influenced by Cassavetes himself). Despite the scant story, this is a very special film that can be felt from the powerful opening scene, it really shows how so much can be done with so little.
Rated 26 Sep 2020
60
35th
This is a sleepy gangster picture, which is a nice way of saying that you'll probably feel like falling asleep. I don't fully mean that statement, but when a joke works it works.
Rated 26 Sep 2007
58
37th
After directing comedies A New Leaf in 1971 and The Heartbreak Kid in 1972, May tried a major creative shift with a film about a pair of small time hoods bonding and bristling over the course of one fear-fueled evening. It has an unexpected urban grit and edginess. John Cassavetes is a shade too manic at times, but Falk is terrific. As a whole, it's underwhelming, playing less as a potent character study and more like a riff, an experiment in storytelling style that doesn't completely cohere.
Rated 24 Oct 2019
5
91st
A true live-wire of a film, unpredictably veering back and forth at the whims of its two leads' worst and most volatile impulses. Falk and Cassavetes are utter delights.
Rated 23 Jan 2020
80
68th
May, Falk and Cassavetes really understand these men and their relationships with each other and with women and May shot for hours and hours to get the most naturalistic performances out of these two. It feels improvised because it feels so real and lacks all the phony story beats you expect from a film like this.
Rated 20 May 2020
87
71st
I wish the scratchy voiced mob boss had a few more lines
Rated 29 Dec 2022
4
72nd
All so real - theyre so charming and heartbreaking and then theyre in a room with that woman and they become terrifying predators. scene where mikey goes back to see his wife and she goes through a film's worth of emotions in a couple of moments is incredible. cassavetes and falk impeccable
Rated 06 Aug 2023
53
17th
Well, it starts off promising and there is very good chemistry between Cassavetes and Falk. But the character Nicky is so unlikable and annoying that at one point you feel like "shoot him already", then it goes into unnecessary tangents and becomes a bore to watch. Except for a sense of ennui, it didn't leave anything with me. although, it can be said that creating such an annoying character is a feat in itself.
Rated 15 Sep 2023
71
47th
I guess everybody else was clocking the Cassavetes connections and all I was seeing was a weird Columbo movie
Rated 10 Feb 2013
85
96th
A paranoid man thinks the mob is out to kill him, so a good friend comes over, humors him, and says they need to go on the lam. Just go in with that, and experience the film's unfolding. Elaine May seems to have a unique ability to combine very funny moments with equally dark ones. Falk and Cassavetes reminded me a little of Grodin and De Niro in _Midnight Run_, except with more serious moments. Terrific acting and terrific character study. (ps: 71)
Rated 22 Oct 2015
100
0th
"The PLO was bombing over there and a cruise ship had been taken hostage ...and then Elaine May was causing problems..." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/08/episode-26-subject-of-this-episode-is.html
Rated 13 Sep 2012
80
80th
This is as good as acting gets.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
96th
Very unusual crime drama that features excellent performances and often makes the viewer uncomfortable.
Rated 12 Jul 2016
80
81st
Grande final
Rated 10 Dec 2012
80
81st
watched: 2012, 2019
Rated 02 Feb 2019
65
47th
I would define this as an anti-crime movie, where we focus on the problematic friendship of the proragonists rather than following thrilling and dangerous action scenes. May's feminine touch is also visible when she shows us the characters' domestic life and their contrasted relations with their wives. Mikey is like an asshole friend whom you can never get rid of, and find yourself entangled with his problems. Although the idea is strong, I couldn't enjoy the "eventlessness" of the movie.
Rated 18 Apr 2013
90
96th
Recent re-watching persuaded me of the superb politics of discomfort this negotiates, comparable to, but in a different register than, both KING OF COMEDY and Elaine May's previous THE HEARTBREAK KID. Probably May's masterpiece.
Rated 15 Feb 2013
90
80th
Peter Falk and John Cassavetes are both absolutely superb. As much as I love Elaine May, this movie would be nothing without them. Their real-life friendship contributes so much to their on-screen chemistry, which is off the charts. I love the seedy locations and the dirty cinematography, too. If you love movies from the early 70s I can't see you not liking this.
Rated 18 Feb 2016
80
72nd
Even though I don't like crime movies that much, the chemistry between Cassavetes and Falk is a must-see.
Rated 09 Jun 2020
70
56th
It's no wonder the Safdies singled out this piece as an influence - you could trace a direct line between each of their moody neon interpretations of the night city. The episodic nature inevitably leads to some highs and lows, woven together from Husbands-esque performances from both Cassavetes and Falk.
Rated 25 Apr 2011
70
53rd
Powerful performances by Cassavetes and Falk.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
40
19th
I can see the connection to Cassavetes', of course, but something about this just doesn't do it for me. It feels similar in tone to KoaCB and Husbands, which, while good, don't deal so much with the poetic artistry of Cassavetes best work. Even compared to these, Mikey and Nicky is more generic, where KoaCB transcended its genre. Unlike others, I don't find this equal in quality, while the similarities remain impossible to ignore, to its severe detriment.
Rated 16 Dec 2018
52
40th
Beyond the great acting I'll acknowledge with an extra decile, I don't get the hype. Awfully slow and boring script. I Co ldnt finish. Maybe the last half hour contained thrills but the first half felt like watching a man in therapy.
Rated 16 Dec 2018
67
49th
Wish I knew what I was getting into before I jumped in.
Rated 26 Jun 2021
85
82nd
I'm a stickler for dimly-lit neonoirs, so when I saw that this film was littered with darkness I was game. Even the sunlight in the final scene seemed so out-of-place
Rated 21 Oct 2019
93
92nd
Gostei imensamente do modo como isso foi construído, quer dizer, a primeira hora parece um cara querendo foder com uma amizade de décadas, para sabermos na segunda hora que o cara tem razão em fazer isso porque o suposto amigo é um crápula, no fundo o mundo da máfia não é tão diferente das nossas amizades corriqueiras, afinal, quantos de vocês não perderam amigos nos últimos anos descobrindo que eles eram canalhas por causa de política? Box Versátil Cinema Policial Volume 4.
Rated 20 Jan 2021
83
90th
Revertigo: The movie. So much going on between Cassavetes and Falk, peeling back the layers of toughguydom.
Rated 10 Jun 2020
90
91st
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #127: Although both written & directed by Elaine May, it has Cassavete's DNA all over it, from her unorthodox direction, the naturalistic mood, and its sharp, caustic script. Falk & Cassavetes have undeniable chemistry & more than enough charisma to make the most of the minimal story.
Rated 14 May 2021
75
46th
I like what they set up in the first half. The character stuff and how they reveal the plot is really well done. Falk and Cassavetes have great chemistry. There's even some occasional bits of nice cinematography. But the second half...the second is just way too aimless with unnecessarily long stretches of dialogue that grind the plot to an almost complete halt. Fortunately the ending is done rather well. An inevitable yet still extremely heartbreaking conclusion.
Rated 09 Aug 2021
6
95th
Somehow I had not seen this until now. A masterpiece.
Rated 04 Aug 2022
90
91st
It's clear that Elaine May is playing by Cassavetes' rules, at least to an extent. May supposedly shot over 127-movies-worth of footage before paring the film down to just 1h46m. If that's true, that's a very Cassavetes thing to do, and his and Falk's exploratory improvisation is apparent in the performances; in a great way. Takes the best of Cassavetes' directing style, while May keeps more focus on the story and keeps a tighter grip on the edit. The balance it strikes is practically perfect.
Rated 29 May 2022
84
72nd
There really is something so hypnotically gross about that 1970s American city style. Fantastic leads and a really darkly funny and sad story.
Rated 09 Dec 2022
80
88th
"It's very hard to talk to a dead person. I have nothing in common." The cemetery scene is pure gold!
Rated 06 Feb 2023
75
77th
Cassavetes-y direction from May who draws good performances from Falk and Cassavetes.
Rated 13 Feb 2023
57
45th
I'm not really a fan of Cassavetes either as an actor or director but at least he fits the role of an insufferable jerk which is what I think of him in any role I've seen of his. Peter Falk was decent but the movie itself and the direction made the movie fall flat for me.
Rated 19 Jul 2023
85
85th
Much like Charade is the best Hitchcock film not directed by Hitchcock, this is the best Cassavetes film not directed by Cassavetes. Unlike Charade, Cassavetes IS involved in this one, as one of the two stars (across from frequent collaborator Falk), and both are brilliant. It's easy to see why Cassavetes was drawn to the project. It's about messy relationships, especially between the two leads, and feels authentic. The dialogue feels very Cassavetian as well. Great stuff from May.
Rated 10 Oct 2023
85
92nd
More well written sleazeballery from the 70s with one great and one extremely great actor given it their all, on the complete emotional spectrum. Peter Falk is just so endearing and charismatic, he's a spellbinding actor that i love watching - my (late) discovery of the year!
Rated 11 Nov 2023
81
83rd
It's good--really good--to see Peter Falk do something other than his bumbling Columbo shtick. And if that's all you know him for, it's perhaps difficult to imagine that he was a very well-regarded actor in his time. Thank god he's there to ground Cassavetes' flights of mania. (And his faces during the lovemaking scene are priceless.) The writing is uneven and the whole thing is not particularly well-organized, but it gets at something gritty, real, and rather sad.

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