THE FRENCH CONNECTION

1972's Oscar winner for best picture was The French Connection. What a ride this one was. Literally at one point!!

From the very moment the music starts and the credits roll, you know this is the 1970s!  The film is captivating from beginning to end and features some of the best acting I've seen from Gene Hackman. (Hard to believe he was initially selected for the role of Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch!)

As police officers, Hackman and Roy Scheider are not Boy Scouts by any means. Assaulting criminals, shooting people in the back, and saying things like, "Never trust a nigger."  These are flawed, real people of the era out to do their job by taking down foreign drug smugglers.

The camera work and editing are superb. 1970's New York City is almost a character of its own. (Only 1 of the World Trade Towers is completed in the background). The car chase under the moving train is an outstanding masterpiece of cinematography. This is an action flick of the highest caliber, so don't expect much character development. But seriously, to try and insert it would just weigh things down.

 Fasten your seatbelt!