Movie : Pocket Money

A hard luck, not so bright cowboy heads down to Mexico to bring back some rodeo stock for a businessman who’s a little sketchy. He hooks up with an old buddy in Mexico who is going to help broker the deal. So we follow Jim and Leonard around in Leonard’s beat up old Buick as they turn this job into a shit show. They basically chase their tails trying to put the deal together. Encountering roadblock after roadblock, some put in their way by the locals, by the people they’re working for and by themselves.

Another one of those offbeat films that CB likes. Nothing flashy or very exciting, just our two main characters pissing around in Mexico. It’s a light film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Director Stuart Rosenberg keeps it that way. I always like the look of these films (Laszlo Kovacs). There’s some good dialouge written by Terrence Malick. Rosenberg teams up with Paul Newman again and brings a few more cast members from Cool Hand Luke, Wayne Rogers and the great Strother Martin (An absolute CB fave) who play the sleazeballs who hire Newman.

 

Paul Newman and Lee Marvin play the two friends. Newman the short fused, worst businessman in the world and Marvin his connection in Mexico who’s a little sketchy himself. A bullshitter. They make a pretty pathetic team barreling around in Marvin’s beat up old Buick (Why does he have to drive around so fast all the time?). I liked their chemistry.

Pocket Money is light and easy going with some funny bits. If you do catch this one don’t take it too seriously because it’s not that type of film. Relax, jump in the Buick convertible, take in the sights and get in on a real bad deal with Jim and Leonard. A couple real sizzlers.