Smoke (1995)

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

Directors:

Wayne Wang, Paul Auster (uncredited)

Writer:

Paul Auster

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Giancarlo Esposito

10 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Giancarlo Esposito	...	OTB Man #1, Tommy
José Zúñiga	...	OTB Man #2, Jerry
Stephen Gevedon	...	OTB Man #3, Dennis (as Steve Gevedon)
Harvey Keitel	...	Auggie Wren
Jared Harris	...	Jimmy Rose
William Hurt	...	Paul Benjamin
Daniel Auster	...	Book Thief
Harold Perrineau	...	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

Storyline

The plot of this movie, like smoke itself, drifts and swirls ethereally. Characters and subplots are deftly woven into a tapestry of stories and pictures which only slowly emerges to our view. This film tries to convince us that reality doesn't matter so much as aesthetic satisfaction. In Auggie's New York smoke shop, day by day passes, seemingly unchanging until he teaches us to notice the little details of life. Paul Benjamin, a disheartened and broken writer, has a brush with death that is pivotal and sets up an unlikely series of events that afford him a novel glimpse into the life on the street which he saw, but did not truly perceive, every day. Finally, it's Auggie's turn to spin a tale....

---

Plot Keywords:

smoke | cigarette smoking | death of wife | year 1990 | summer | 

---

Taglines:

The most precious things are lighter than the air

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Official site

Country:

Germany Japan USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 June 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Smoke

Filming Locations:

Phillipstown, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,349,430

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,Neue Deutsche Filmgesellschaft (NDF),Euro Space

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (DuArt) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Erica Gimpel, Victor Argo, Giancarlo Esposito, and Harold Perrineau appeared in King Of New York (1990).

---

Goofs

The coke cans throughout the movie have a six flags great adventure admission advertising on them that did not exist on coke cans in 1990 the first came along in 1993.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
OTB Man #1, Tommy: I'm gonna tell you why they aren't going anywhere.
OTB Man #3, Dennis: Why aren't they going anywhere?
OTB Man #1, Tommy: Management.
OTB Man #3, Dennis: Aw jeez.
OTB Man #1, Tommy: Those guys are walkin' around with the head up their asses.
OTB Man #3, Dennis: Right, yeah. Well ya know, they made some good trades too ya know. Carter and Manis. Without them two there never woulda been a World Series.

---

Connections

References Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

---

Soundtracks

Twenty Four preludes and fugues, op. 87 Fugue no. 1, C major
Written by Dmitri Shostakovich
Performed by Keith Jarrett
Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc.

User Reviews

A beautiful urban poem.

SMOKE is a beautiful movie about nothing at all and at the same time about everything. I don´t even know how to describe it to someone, i guess it´s undescribable. It´s one of those rare movies that it has to be felt. If you don´t feel it, then you are missing the whole point. SMOKE is one of those rare movies which we don´t know how to recommend this to our friends, because it´s so original and simple that there is nothing to describe. Anything we might say ,it only will give the illusion this is an shallow or boring movie. SMOKE is not an adventure, not a drama, not a comedy, not a cops movie, not an action movie, so what it´s about ?!! It´s about life. But in a real way, and surprisingly not boring.

This movie is very similar to Luc Besson´s - Le Gran Bleu (The Big Blue). The story it has nothing to do with it, but it´s a movie to also be felt.

This is an actors movie, and they all do an incredible job. Sometimes they make us want to go to New York and go talk with them. Then we remember that they are not real, and we wished they were. Harvey Keitel and William Hurt are perfect in their characters and it´s a joy to watch them act. The movie could be only both of them talking to to each other, that it would still be a great and not boring movie.

This is a very well writen, acted and directed script, and we don´t find many of this everyday. And it has a fantastic soundtrack also that fits perfectly in the story. The final scenes with a Tom Waits song are realy poetic. The music almost becomes a character in the movie.

Beautiful, beautiful movie. Unmissable !

By the way, if you can, watch the "sequel" also, because it´s as good as the original. It´s called "Blue in the face". Don´t miss it.

SMOKE is a magnificent movie.