The French Connection
(directed by William Friedkin)
Film Forum through September 6th
A New York City procedural cop movie classic and the winner of five Academy Awards, a new 35 mm print of The French Connection gets a one-week run at Film Forum starting this weekend. Starring Gene Hackman as the porkpie wearing detective Popeye Doyle in a career defining role, the movie follows the attempt of a French criminal (Fernando Rey) to smuggle heroin into the country and the cops dogged pursuit of them. If you enjoyed The Bourne Ultimatum's car chases through Manhattan, The French Connection features one of the best ones every committed to film as Popeye tails by car a hit man on the elevated train through Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Gritty and realistic, Connection was one of the first films to herald a new kind of anti-establishment American filmmaking in the '70s and it's a great way for Film Forum to finish off their excellent NYC Noir series.
Other movie events happening around town this weekend include a screening of the classic backstabbing ingenue comedy All About Eve tonight at MoMA at 8:25 pm as a part of their ongoing MoMA Laffs series. The annual New York Korean Film Festival is screening a number of notable new releases over at BAM including some New York premieres. Or check out a midnight screening on Friday and Saturday of the '80s pirate treasure adventure The Goonies at the Sunshine. There's also a special preview screening next Thursday at 7 pm of James Mangold's new Western 3:10 to Yuma with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe at the Museum of the Moving Image.
