This is a film I had seen a couple of times and really not appreciated. It really clicked with me this time. Tony Richardson seems like an odd choice to direct a film set in Texas with a screenplay co-written by Walon Green. On the face of it, this should be a Walter Hill film, and I think that's what I was expecting on previous viewings. Richardson's kitchen sink sensibility really dominates as the film spends a lot of time developing the characters and the setting and casually circling the thriller elements until the film explodes in a rather startlingly violent climax. If you really give your self over to the very casual pace, it's a rewarding film. Nicholson and Keitel are really superb in this and there's a really nice supporting role for Warren Oates.

The Border which was directed by Tony Richardson of Tom Jones and Look Back In Anger fame, is a familiar, if mostly genuine, look at the life of a despondent border patrol agent (Jack Nicholson) and his consumer obsessed wife. After relocating to an El Paso, Texas suburb, Charlie Smith finds himself re evaluating everything around him. Warren Oates and Harvey Keitel also turn up as his co-workers.

It's a pretty messy film. Strands are introduced as quickly as their forgotten. But a strong, meditative performance by Nicholson keep an otherwise messy film from sinking itself with an overabundance of moral quandaries.

nicholson wrestles with his conscience and his charge-happy wife in this languidly paced neo-western. harvey keitel tries to cover his thick accent with a sloppy texan one, but to no avail, and the result is lots of distracting ADR work. richardson does yeoman work with the camera overall, but knows when to pull the camera in close for the flashy, shoot-em-up ending.

Nicholson, Keitel, and the great Warren Oates. Nicholson is a cog in the corrupt Border Patrol system. He goes against the system to re-unite a young Mexican girl with her baby, that was taken from her by a ring that deals in drugs, illegals, and slavery, while being protected by the Border Patrol. Vilmos Zsigmond is behind the camera.

A border patrol cop and how he deals with the on-the-job everyday corruption that goes on around him. A very clumsily made film considering the talent involved.

This is a film I had seen a couple of times and really not appreciated. It really clicked with me this time. Tony Richardson seems like an odd choice to direct a film set in Texas with a screenplay co-written by Walon Green. On the face of it, this should be a Walter Hill film, and I think that's what I was expecting on previous viewings. Richardson's kitchen sink sensibility really dominates as the film spends a lot of time developing the characters and the setting and casually circling the thriller elements until the film explodes in a rather startlingly violent climax. If you really give your self over to the very casual pace, it's a rewarding film. Nicholson and Keitel are really superb in this and there's a really nice supporting role for Warren Oates.

Part of my Jack Nichol-thon (bad pun intended). The story is interested, but combined with bad audio-quality and many uninteresting characters makes for many dull and forgettable scenes. Jack Nicholson, once again, pulls a fantastic performance out of the film, considerably impressive considering what little he has to work with, and the fact he's playing against type. That said, The Border is an enjoyable movie with some good action scenes.

Although the ending isn't quite what I would have hoped for, this is a layered study of the hypocrisy of American prejudice toward Mexican border-hoppers, carried perfectly on Nicholson's shoulders. Keitel offers great support as the opposite side of the spectrum, selfish and ruthless to Nicholson's compassion and fairness, the two between them creating a rounded portrait of a contentious issue that isn't afraid to highlight the serious problems at work in this part of the world. It can be a little heavy-handed at times, and it feels tedious in certain parts, but it's a well-delivered perspective that offers some very interesting observations on economic and cultural points. Great soundtrack too, not enjoyed a movie's music quite so much for a while.