Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Looking For Mr. Goodbar isn't exactly the kind of feel good movie you might want to pop in on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It's heavy - almost suffocatingly so at times. What it does offer is a great chance for Diane Keaton to play a very different kind of character. Her Theresa is nothing like her Annie Hall or Nina Banks and that's refreshing to see. It's also an excellent time capsule of New York City life in the 70's.

With an upbeat 70's disco soundtrack (odds are, you'll know most of the tunes), Looking For Mr. Goodbar tracks a schoolteacher looking for love, passion, and satisfaction anyway she can find it. Sometimes it leads to heartbreak, sometimes it leads to danger, but it always leads to depression for the audience.

It's been a long time since I've seen a film this aggressively depressing and cynical and, to be honest, it's hard for me to process. On one hand, Keaton's work is exceptional, but on the other hand, it's a pretty tough slog to sit through. One needs to be in the right frame of mind to make it through.