MovieChat Forums > Pocket Money (1972) Discussion > Canb't hold a candle to Peckinpah's JUNI...

Canb't hold a candle to Peckinpah's JUNIOR BONNER

posted 15 years ago by jonchopwood
9 replies | jump to latest

Paul Newman gives a terrific performance, and Strother Martin is always a joy. Wyane Rogers was very good in his role as Stretch. Lee Marvin shamelessly resorted to scene stealing antics, I guess, to inject comedy in an anemic script, poorly directed by Rosenberg.

I think of the vitality of JUNIOR BONNER, which came out about the same time, and feel sad that so much talent was so wasted.

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"Why do people always laugh in the wrong places?"
--Marlon Brando, Sr.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

Steve McQueen is excellent in Peckinpah's "Junior Bonner," and that film seems to have a point. "Pocket Money" just sort of meanders. I'm not sure they had much of a script or an idea of how to end it. The performances and scenery were good, but this film didn't live up to its potential. 6 stars out of 10, based mainly on the likability of Newman and Marvin.

[–] LatigoMeans 15 years ago

Junior Bonner was a vastly superior film and still entertains today after many viewings.
Considering the westerns released in and around '72, Pocket Money is a total disappointment that even the "likability" of it's two stars cannot redeem.
I'll take Wayne in The Cowboys, Redford in Jeremiah Johnson, Eastwood's Joe Kidd and even The Culpepper Cattle Company over Pocket Money... their respective portrayed era's notwithstanding.

~LjM
Put your pants on, Spartacus!

[–] wilbrifar 15 years ago

Yeah, those films had endings and wrapped up tidily as films should, right? While all Pocket Money had going for it was perfectly real characters, dialog that actually sounds like the things people say, situations that actually feel like situations real people get into, and an ending that felt like life. They didn't win, didn't accomplish anything, but they're still friends and that'll have to be enough. The point of a film like Pocket Money isn't to entertain with a formula, but to provide what used to be called "slice of life". You just relax and go with it, and pick up a smile or two along the way. This is the kind of movie which made the 70s the Golden Age of film, and is the kind of movie I wish someone were capable of making today.

[–] WarpedRecord 14 years ago

I also consider the '70s the golden age of film, but I can't say that this is a shining example of it. Still, this film evokes a feeling of camaraderie that is hard to deny for its utter sincerity.

As for making a film like this today, this seems like an example of the independent "mumblecore" genre with character talking about their lives, each others' lives, and learning something about both along the way. Recent examples would be "Down in the Valley," "Old Joy" and "Pope Dreams" (horrible title, but decent film). I still prefer films of the '70s, though.

[–] palindromicevilolive 14 years ago

Are they really friends though? I kinda got the impression Marvin wasn't entirely on the up-and-up, maybe was working a scam with some of the cattle ranchers or the corrupt cop.

[–] june-sasser 9 years ago

Ex f-ing zactley! This film could have had better editing, but was clearly a slice of west Tx-Az life that was coming to a close. I love Junior Bonner as well,but these were different characters. The Last Picture Show is better than both, but I would watch any of the three

» “Never use an adverb to modify the verb ‘said’…he admonished gravely.” – Elmore Leonard

[–] Petrino 14 years ago

Peckinpah's slo motion makes me want to strangle someone, so I am not impressed with what the big deal is over him, but this movie was awful. No momentum. Boring. Lots of filler and that Carole king song didn't fit in at all. Horrible editing. If edited properly, this would have been shorter than a bunnie film.

If their is a glimmer of hope in anything, you should report it.-The Happiness 5-0

[–] Jones70 (6195) 5 years ago

I liked this more

[–] whynotwriteme (7123) 5 years ago

Me too. Junior Bonner was just a rather static character study, but this is an extremely entertaining crime/buddy adventure into Mexico.

Anyone ever see "The Honkers" with James Coburn? Same sort of modern (early 70s) Rodeo-rider, cowboy western. Pocket Money is a better story, but I liked Coburn's character from The Honkers better than Newman's character in this. There's also J.W. Coop with Cliff Robertson in the same subgenre.