The French Connection (1971) William Friedkin @ Naro Expanded Cinema
Details
RUNTIME: 104 minutes
RATING: R
SYNOPSIS (from the Naro; buy tickets here): New York Detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner (Roy Scheider) chase a French heroin smuggler. Realistic, fast-paced and uncommonly smart, The French Connection is bolstered by stellar performances by Hackman and Scheider, not to mention William Friedkin's thrilling production. (1971, R, 1h 44m)
BLURBS:
"Gritty, downbeat and, in Hackman’s “Popeye” Doyle, fronted by one of the most unlikely heroes that cinema had seen, this was one of the great films of Hollywood’s most creatively uncompromising period." - Wendy Ide, The Time (UK)
"No matter how hard I try to control my enthusiasm, I cannot help thinking that The French Connection is the most exciting, most stylish -- in fact, the best piece of cops-and-robbers cinema since the silents." - Martha Dubose, Sydney Morning Herald
"There is only one problem with the excitement generated by this film. After it is over, you will walk out of the theater and, as I did, curse the tedium of your own life. I kept looking for someone who I could throw up against a wall." - Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune