Smoke (1995)

Succeeded by: Blue in the Face (1995)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Paul Benjamin	William Hurt
Auggie Wren	Harvey Keitel
Ruby McNutt	Stockard Channing	½
Cyrus Cole	Forest Whitaker
Rashid Cole	Harold Perrineau
Jimmy Rose	Jared Harris	-
1st OTB Man/Tommy	Giancarlo Esposito	-
Felicity	Ashley Judd	-
The Creeper	Malik Yoba	-
Vinnie	Victor Argo	-

Review

This little gem of a film was a sleeper hit in Europe, perhaps because of its unamerican qualities: the film is so unremarkable and ostensibly uneventful that it seems to be making a statement. Written by New York success author Paul Auster and directed by Wayne Wang, Smoke is like Seinfeld without the absurdities; a film about regular New Yorkers living their lives from day to day and year to year. Auster celebrates the regularity and perseverance of life. Not only does he want to deglamorize life, but – more importantly – he wants us to notice and appreciate the sentiment of the unremarkable, such as going about your business, stop chasing, and – last but not least – enjoying your smoke. The latter, of course, being the symbol for our perishability. But, says Auster, it's not about how long you live, it's about how well you live. Some clever dialogue, unorthodox character relations and poignant, low-key drama crown this unmodern, modern indie-classic. Followed by Blue in the Face.