contrapositive

MOVIE OF THE WEEK It's been years since I last saw Mikey and Nicky, and I don't think I've spotted a single reference to the movie since.

Written and directed by Elaine May, this small, simple film could probably have been a two-man play. But by casting John Cassavetes and Peter Falk in the starring roles, May turned a potentially taut, straightforward mob flick into something more improvisational, and more unusual.

The result is the kind of film Cassavetes himself might have made if he was more interested in narrative storytelling. In other words, it's odd, compelling and very much worth seeing.