Smoke (1995)

Smoke (dir. Wayne Wang) was one of my favorite films as a teenager. I have vivid memories of Auggie's Brooklynite cigar store and the people that cross his path, even though perhaps ten years have passed since I saw this film. Re-watching it, I was a little nervous it wouldnt have aged well. In fact, with the exception of a few instances of pretentious & forced dialogue, it still strikes me as a good, slow-paced film about how human relationships unwind in the most unexpected ways. The scruffy surroundings of New York, Harvey Keitel's robust presence and low-key conversations make for a decent film that revolves around the magic twists and turns of ordinary life. One could argue that this film is more about atmosphere than content and sure, that's right. One could also argue that some human difficulties are sugarcoated with sweeping gestures in the direction of "humanity", and heck, if I'd been watching the film in a more unsympathetic mood, I would have said something like that. It's the quiet moments where nothing really happens (people hang out in Auggie's store) that save this film from what would otherwise have been a big complaint: dramatized vagueness. And believe it or not, Tom Waits' music remains gorgeously timed. --- But if you watch this film, turn it off before the closing credits, my god, what a song. I also found the ending re-enactment of a story told in words completely superfluous. After finishing the film, I wonder what it is exactly that makes the feeling of the 90's loom so heavily over Smoke. Lots of low-key, episodic and loose-ended films were quite successful at that time.