FINGERS is a brilliant film. Superficially it is a tough, gripping and unusual crime film about a violence-prone collector of gambling debts, but beneath the surface it is a psychologically complex (and presumably autobiographical) portrait of a man struggling with self-worth, sexual inferiority, and impending mental illness.
Harvey Keitel stars as Jimmy, an aspiring concert pianist who is striving to impress his mother, who is a once-promising piano prodigy now confined to a mental institution. He also longs for the acceptance of his father (Michael V. Gazzo), a two-bit loan shark who used to be a big-shot bookmaker. Jimmy's father occasionally requests (demands, really) that Jimmy collect money owed by clients who are delinquent on their payments, which typically requires intimidation or violence. Jimmy is conflicted: He wants to be a peaceful musician, but his father's approbation means a great deal to him as well.
Meanwhile, Jimmy strikes up a bizarre tryst with a beautiful, emotionally reclusive woman named Carol (Tisa Farrow), whose heart belongs to a quick-tempered former boxer (Jim Brown). Jimmy and Carol rush into a sexual relationship, but she is wholly apathetic toward Jimmy, seemingly using him as a means by which to pass the time between meetings with her real boyfriend.
Jimmy is always reaching for various modes of acceptance, regardless of the source: He is deeply flattered by attention from gay men, and is even distracted greatly when an underage girl visibly finds him charming. He even forces himself on an ultimately willing gangster's moll. (Jimmy's constant pursuit of sexual acceptance seemingly mirrors that of writer/director James Toback, whose own pursuits became public knowledge when the #metoo movement formed.)
The performances are searing (Keitel and Gazzo are especially compelling), the writing is uncommonly sharp, and Toback's direction is impressive, despite the film's low budget roots. The NYC locations are often as grimy and unnerving as the content itself, adding to the film's already brooding and seedy tone. The occasional bursts of violence are also upsetting: When Jimmy employs violence, he is brutal and animalistic.
FINGERS is essential viewing for crime movie buffs and connoisseurs of emotionally charged, psychologically layered cinema alike. Its lean 90 minute run time contains a great deal of content, owing to its abundance of subtext. It is Toback's finest offering, and stands as one of the finest films of its decade.
Harvey Keitel stars as Jimmy, an aspiring concert pianist who is striving to impress his mother, who is a once-promising piano prodigy now confined to a mental institution. He also longs for the acceptance of his father (Michael V. Gazzo), a two-bit loan shark who used to be a big-shot bookmaker. Jimmy's father occasionally requests (demands, really) that Jimmy collect money owed by clients who are delinquent on their payments, which typically requires intimidation or violence. Jimmy is conflicted: He wants to be a peaceful musician, but his father's approbation means a great deal to him as well.
Meanwhile, Jimmy strikes up a bizarre tryst with a beautiful, emotionally reclusive woman named Carol (Tisa Farrow), whose heart belongs to a quick-tempered former boxer (Jim Brown). Jimmy and Carol rush into a sexual relationship, but she is wholly apathetic toward Jimmy, seemingly using him as a means by which to pass the time between meetings with her real boyfriend.
Jimmy is always reaching for various modes of acceptance, regardless of the source: He is deeply flattered by attention from gay men, and is even distracted greatly when an underage girl visibly finds him charming. He even forces himself on an ultimately willing gangster's moll. (Jimmy's constant pursuit of sexual acceptance seemingly mirrors that of writer/director James Toback, whose own pursuits became public knowledge when the #metoo movement formed.)
The performances are searing (Keitel and Gazzo are especially compelling), the writing is uncommonly sharp, and Toback's direction is impressive, despite the film's low budget roots. The NYC locations are often as grimy and unnerving as the content itself, adding to the film's already brooding and seedy tone. The occasional bursts of violence are also upsetting: When Jimmy employs violence, he is brutal and animalistic.
FINGERS is essential viewing for crime movie buffs and connoisseurs of emotionally charged, psychologically layered cinema alike. Its lean 90 minute run time contains a great deal of content, owing to its abundance of subtext. It is Toback's finest offering, and stands as one of the finest films of its decade.