简介：1974'sTheNickelRideistheworkofdirectorRobertMulligan(ToKillaMockingbird,TheStalkingMoon)andwriterEricRoth(TheOnionField,TheInsider).It'salsothebestfilmbyfarforJasonMillerofTheExorcist.Thestoryofanobsoletemobsterislessaneo-noirthanamoviethatbehavesasifthenoirperiodneverended. EricRoth'sscreenplayisaboutaguywhodiscoversthathe'sthelasttoknowhe'sonthewayout.Cooper,the"KeyMan"(JasonMiller)isthemobcontactforthewarehousedistrictofdowntownL.A.;hisbasicresponsibilityisfindingsecurestoragespacefortruckloadsofhotcontraband.Coopercan'tseemtocloseadealthatwillsecureanentireblockofrail-adjacentwarehouses,alongwiththeattendantpayoffarrangementtomakethecopslooktheotherway.CooperisalocalcelebritywithhispalsdownatPaddie'sbar,wherePaddie(VictorFrench)makessurehe'salwayswelcome.Cooper'sex-dancergirlfriendSarah(theremarkableLindaHaynes)isalsointenselyloyal.Butthingsdon'tlookright.LocalmobsuperiorCarlO'Neal(JohnHillerman)isactingaloof.HewantsCoopertobreakinanewmannamedTurner(BoHopkins),aninsolentcowboywhohidesbehindanaw-shucksattitude.Justasitlookslikethedealforthewarehouseswillgosour,aboxingmatchthatCooperwassupposedtofixgoeswrong.SuddenlystoodupformeetingsandunabletocontactO'Neal,theKeyManbeginstorealizethatTurnermayhavebeenbroughtinasawayof"easingCooperout". TheNickelRideisaverygoodexerciseinlow-keycrimeintrigue,Alocalsuccessstorysuddenlyseessignsthattheorganizationisturningonhim.Coopermakesenoughtoaffordamountaincabinbutlivesinanapartmentinhisrun-downneighborhood,muchofwhichhasn'tchangedsincethe1940s.Interestingly,thehintsthatheisbeingsetuparenotmuchdifferentthanwhathappensinanybusiness,whensomeunluckyemployeesuddenlyfindsthathisassociatesarepushinghimout.Superiorsdon'tseemtobeinteractingwithCooperinthesameway,andthepurposeoftheunwelcome"newman"TurnercanonlybetorattleCoopersohewillmakeamistake.Theentireincidentofthefixedfightthatdoesn'tstayfixed,maywellhavebeenconcoctedtoundercutCooper'scredibility.Drivingtoameetingatamountaingetawaywherenobodyelseshowsup,Coopercanonlyconcludethathe'sbeingleddownthegardenpath.AndthemenacingTurneralwaysseemstobenearby,fornogoodreason. RobertMulliganorchestratesapleasingsetofsupportingcharacters.JasonMillerandLindaHaynesenjoyaloving,understandingrelationship.LindaevenshowsoffsomeofhersexydancemovesfortheirpalPaddie,andnotensioniscreated.ButweseetheparanoiacreepingupinsideCooper.HekeepsitundercontrolwiththeexceptionofonebravurasequencethatprovesMulligantobeamasterofdeception...remindingushowwellhegeneratedafeelingoftotaldreadinhispreviousfilm,anadaptationofThomasTryon'sTheOther. TheNickelRidehasrewardsthatwouldn'tbeoutofplaceinaCoenBrothersmovie,evenifitis99minutesofmostlyunrelievedtension.ThecinematographyisbythegreatJordanCronenweth,whocapturesperfectlytheambienceofvariousmustyLosAngelesinteriors.Casualviewerswereprobablyboredbythefilm'sdoggedadherencetorealism,butnowitplayslikeasuperiordramaonallcounts.…