Smoke (1995)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writer:

Paul Auster (written by)

Release Date:

9 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Where there's smoke... there's laughter!

Plot:

A Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.

Plot Keywords:

Smoke | Brooklyn | Writer | New York | Auto Mechanic

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Giancarlo Esposito	...	OTB Man #1, Tommy
José Zúñiga	...	OTB Man #2, Jerry
Stephen Gevedon	...	OTB Man #3, Dennis (as Steve Gevedon)
Harvey Keitel	...	Augustus 'Auggie' Wren
Jared Harris	...	Jimmy Rose
William Hurt	...	Paul Benjamin
Daniel Auster	...	Book Thief
Harold Perrineau	...	Thomas 'Rashid' Cole (as Harold Perrineau Jr.)
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Sue the Waitress
Victor Argo	...	Vinnie
Michelle Hurst	...	Aunt Em
Forest Whitaker	...	Cyrus Cole
Stockard Channing	...	Ruby McNutt
Vincenzo Amelia	...	Irate Customer
Erica Gimpel	...	Doreen Cole

Also Known As:

Smoke - Raucher unter sich (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Germany | USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DuArt) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Phillipstown, New York, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The story that William Hurt's character tells about the son who found his dead father's body frozen on a mountain is the same story that Paul Auster uses in his novel, "The New York Trilogy".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Thomas Cole knocks on the door of Paul Benjamin's apartment on his first visit, Paul goes to answers the door without a cigarette. However, when he opens the door a lit cigarette appears in his mouth.

Quotes:

Auggie Wren: If you can't share your secrets with your friends then what kind of friend are you?
Paul Benjamin: Exactly... life just wouldn't be worth living.

Movie Connections:

References Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Soundtrack:

Smoke gets in your eyes

A nice, quiet film, light years away from the (Hollywood) mainstream

The characters are genuine, funny, sensitive, tragic... just human. They are sympathetic with their small weaknesses and their daily problems. The movie gives a realistic description of the daily life of ordinary people in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn has the star role. In fact the movie seems like a declaration of love to this city, although when compared to Woody Allen's "Manhattan", the approach is completely different.

The message is in a way surprising (maybe because of my European bias): Even in this money driven, rough, fast living, time-is-money, urban and individualistic environment there is a lot of love, friendship and humanity. Humanity means also that we do things which eventually do not make very much sense, are not logical and which may be very emotional. Smoking belongs to such activities. It is an activity which needs a work break. It gives us an opportunity for a stop and for starting rethinking issues. Therefore the small cigar shop, which appears like an island within a stormy ocean, like the antipode to the bustle environment.

Sometimes some of the hurry enters the shop, but the clocks seem to tick differently there and at the end everything calms down. I like this movie.