"The Pope Of Greenwich Village" (1984)

Let's get this out of the way first. Eric Roberts was ROBBED from a nomination. Let alone an Oscar win, and I understand now why he goes through life angry about it. Because he was later nominated for the lesser "Runaway Train." Too late, you stupid fucking Academy. Which is why I think the Oscars are a sham anyway. A lot of great performances during a year, but when push came to shove, you couldn't extend yourself to this amazing bit of acting.

Jack Nicholson won that year for "Terms Of Endearment." A fine performance, but so...painfully obvious who they liked more...as a person...maybe. Jack is known, Eric...not so much.

I would even go as far to say, Roberts slammed three amazing roles in his lifetime versus Jack's MAYBE two. Jack plays Jack, what do you want.

I saw a great print of this at the New Beverly Theater which ironically plays old movies...on film. It looked great. You get the New York of that era. Guidos in slick suits dating New Jersey leggy models doing yoga. It's the flipside of yuppies. These are paisons desperately wanting the country life. But...as Daryl Hannah's character says..."inches away from doing the right thing."

Mickey Rourke plays Charlie. A gadfly worker who is fine with the middle of the pack. He just wants to survive. And make a decent life for his girlfriend. He's a mook to be sure. Off track betting keeps him in with the "shylocks" and is dealing with a ex-wife who keeps getting parking tickets. He's the greaseball you wish your daughter never marries. But he's got a moral, kind heart. Paulie, on the other hand, played to the edge by Eric Roberts is a nut. He's always after the next big score. He's related to some really mean people, and gets word that there is money to be stolen. He ropes Charlie into the caper, along with an old clock fixer who needs one last deal for his wife and kid. Paulie is a permanent haired weasel. He can justify why the Pope could molest children. He's a slick guy, but people read right into him. Harmless, if you consider he rips off restaurants. He gets into a real jam when he rips off gangsters. And for what? To buy the semen of a champion race horse? That's a REAL palooka for ya!

And so there is the issue with both these fellas. Weighing the fact of doing the right thing, versus doing the right thing for themselves. Not a lot of plot, but a GREAT character piece. Which is why a lot of actors should watch Eric Roberts. His brain is constantly moving. And HE embodies Paulie so well, we sense every nerve in his body firing off the most unusual quips. Such as misusing the term "artificial insemination." Great stuff.
Also kudos to a lot of character actors who will turn up later in Scorsese movies. Frank Vincent for one. And (what amounts to a cameo) with Burt Young, whose lumbering gangster gait is REALLY fucking scary, considering he came from Pauly from "Rocky."

A great watch!