MovieChat Forums > The Last Detail (1974) Discussion > meh.... I didn't care much for this film

meh.... I didn't care much for this film

posted 14 years ago by ricanwarrior
11 replies | jump to latest

It was cool seeing grungy old New York City from the 70s and the cameo by Gilda Radner but the film was just plodding in many scenes. Randy Quaid turned in a good performance as the naive Meadows and Nicholson portrayed Buddusky with zeal in a good effort but the direction wasn't one of Hal Ashby's best and the ending (spoiler aler) left a lot to be desired after you've invested a lot of empathy towards Quaids character.

Given Mulhall's bitching about hating the detail and Buddusky's general dislike for the ineptitude of those in higher rank in the service, I wanted all three to just say 'screw it' and ride the rails through to Canada. That being said, it just seemed like it could have been better and maybe my copy of the film (DVD rental from Netflix) was crappy but the sound quality was mediocre. 6 out of 10 stars.

[–] ccr1633 14 years ago

ricanwarrior wrote:
"Given Mulhall's bitching about hating the detail and Buddusky's general dislike for the ineptitude of those in higher rank in the service, I wanted all three to just say 'screw it' and ride the rails through to Canada."
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Maybe that's what you wanted, but it wouldn't have been very realistic. Mulhall made it perfectly clear that he was a family man with no interest in doing anything that would jeapordize his navy career. Why would he take off to Canada and ruin his life and his family's? For the sake of Meadows?

[–] camelotontheavon 13 years ago

A cameo usually implies a short appearance by a known actor/actress. This was pre-SNL, so I guess you could call it a retroactive cameo. :)

[–] shred-com 12 years ago

Haven't seen the dvd
But I saw this on TCM and thought the sound quality was mediocre too! The music was clear and loud enough but I noticed the talking was a bit whispery.

[–] jockey-1 11 years ago

Right: patchy sound, unlikeable characters, miserable/ pointless plot. Apart from all the '70s cityscapes (which regularly look amazing on film, anyway) this one is an overrated waste of time.

[–] rc-108 11 years ago

I did not care for it.

a 5 is plenty.

[–] chas437 11 years ago

One of the great films of the 1970s, period

"For dark is the suede that mows like a harvest"

[–] kag2 10 years ago

I remember being slightly depressed by this movie, but for me it was still a solid film.

1) It showed the harshness and injustice of everyday life for many.

2) It had an anti-military, or anti-authority theme, but wasn't hard on enlisted men.

3) It showed three average guys, not friends, put together by trying circumstance, where each did what he could.

4) It showcased Jack Nicholson in a memorable anti-hero role, as an immature, slightly crazy loner, but a man with a strong conscience. He is teamed with a more mature, more stable navy lifer (Mulhall) who is also decent, and a scared, klepto kid.

Not a fun movie, perhaps, but a strong one, IMO.

[–] chas437 10 years ago

Good points.

I'd add that the Nicholson character was also a Navy 'lifer', which underlies the main themes of the film. The Navy is an immovable, increasingly obsolete institution in a world that is changing rapidly.

I'll take Punctuality

[–] kag2 10 years ago

And maybe not just the navy... Budduskey was kind of there, too. He's 35-36 years old, single (er, divorced) a couple years away from his 20-year retirement at 50% pay, but not really inclined to leave the navy where he is a competent signalman and still acting like a young sailor with the drinking and partying.

If he leaves, his experience as a signalman seems non-transferable. It's not like he's an electrician's mate or has another transferrable skill.

[–] guy_in_west_houston 10 years ago

Script sounded like it was written by a 14 year old who has learned to cuss. Beep-beep-beep. Nicholson talking with a cigar in his mouth - that's deliberatly annoying. Three men drunk on cheap beer and hanging around a motel room in their underwear. Damnit - I felt like I was in a locker room, which creeps me out, and I could not watch this film.

[–] msteven59 9 years ago

I think that would have been a more happy ending, but I think one of the major themes of this movie is how, whether you're going to the brig or your a lifer, you're still the bitch of a bunch of junior officers, 22 year old's fresh out of the academy, and some salty old chiefs who sucked up for 20 years so they could be in the high command they are now. They could have just stuck it to the man, but then these 3 guys would just be Vietnam era deserters. Instead, they are all stuck, forced to continue on with their servitude.