Don't Believe the Hype

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Drugstore Cowboy was the film which put director Gus Van Sant on the map and for my money, it remains the best thing he has ever done. Set in the early 70's it is about a group of druggies who go around robbing chemists to feed their habits. The story is fairly basic, with the film being more character and dialogue driven. Matt Dillon puts in a tremendous performance of laid-back charisma as the leader of the group, in a role he was born to play. There is strong support also from Kelly Lynch as his hardened girlfriend and a young Heather Graham as the girl who pays the ultimate price for her association with this gang via an accidental overdose, an incident which the action in the story ultimately hinges on. There is also nice work too from James Remar as a cynical cop on Dillon's trail and William Burroughs as a veteran drug addict. Like most of the best drug films, it neither celebrates nor condemns the lifestyle and leaves the viewer to make up their minds themselves given the events depicted, although it has to be said that it definitely does not glamourize the individuals involved or their life-styles. In many respects this is a story about a dysfunctional family as much as anything. And as such it has quite an abundance of very effective humour. The flashback to the story about the dog and the whole 'hats on beds' thing being two good examples of the somewhat hilarious places this film goes at times. So, this is a movie which combines comedy and drama very well, with both complimenting each other, with the humour rounding the characters out and the serious drama anchoring us into the darker elements of their existence. In this respect, it would not be unrealistic to think of this as being a proto-type for the later British classic Trainspotting (1996). All-in-all, Drugstore Cowboy truly is one of the hidden gems of the 80's.

Great movie but does NO ONE ELSE notice in the first scene where matt dillon is walking and you can see the camera crew in the reflection on the windows he's walking by??? I'm just really picky

I have always been of the opinion that if one wants to get a basic idea of the Flower Movement and the spirit of non-conformism that engulfed the thoughts and minds of the western youth during the 1960s and 1970s, he/she just has to watch the documentaries 'Woodstock' and "Gimme Shelter' as a double feature. 'Woodstock' shows the young people enjoying themselves with talented artists and ridding themselves of the clutches of the rigid societal norms while the spirit of peace and love hangs in the air. Then we move to 'Gimme Shelter', it just feels like the evil twin sibling of 'Woodstock'. 'Gimme Shelter' just showcases the same ideals of freedom and non-conformism being abused and misinterpreted leading to absolute hooliganism and extremely regrettable consequences.The characters in 'Drugstore Cowboy' could have attended either of the two music festivals covered in the two aforementioned documentaries respectively, but there certainly exists a stronger thematic link between the characters in 'Drugstore Cowboy' and 'Gimme Shelter'. Bob and his gang are basically wanderers with no permanent address. In a world devastated by social upheavals and political chaos, these characters are lost and have no self identity. But they are still influenced by the youth rebellion and revolts and hence they don't want to conform, they'll do anything that they want without having to be answerable to anyone. Unfortunately all that they want to do is rob drugstores and get high.The film focuses on a small group of youngsters with Bob being their leader. There's his wife Dianne and the slightly younger couple Rick and Nadine. They wander from drugstore to drugstore and come up with new and inventive ways to steal the drugs. They really have no other motive in life and are not ambitious at all. They hate the customs of 'normal' life and want to distance themselves as far as possible from societal rules. Bob and Diane evens mention some superstitions which are nothing but symbols of their insecurity and fear of society catching up with them. Bob's character in this film is somewhat similar to Michael Fassbender's character Brandon in 'Shame'. They are deeply addicted to drugs and sex respectively. Bob is always thinking and fantasising about the next score and the next high, while Brandon is always thinking about the next orgasm. Having said all that, it is a tribute to Gus Van Sant's skills as a storyteller that the characters are still humanised and well developed. The screenplay co-written by Gus Van Sant, William S. Burroughs and Daniel Yost which is based on a then unpublished novel by James Fogle avoids exploiting the characters and the circumstances to generate comedy which I thought some scenes in 'Trainspotting' were guilty of. 'Drugstore Cowboy' is more in the same vein as something like 'Requiem for a Dream' where the director doesn't shy away from depicting the pathetic nature of the lives of the characters and makes them do some very objectionable things, but in the end still manages to make the viewer care about them. The only major problem that I had with the film was the somewhat overly quick change that takes place in Bob's character at the midway point of the film. The explanation for the shift was given, but I would have liked Bob to go through such a transition in a more gentle and gradual manner.Roger Ebert in his review correctly noted that 'Drugstore Cowboy' shares a thematic and stylistic resemblance with some of the other great outlaw road movies like 'Midnight Cowboy' and 'Bonnie and Clyde'. To some extent some scenes even reminded me of Scorsese's Mean Streets. Acting wise, Matt Dillon is the shining star. Others put in good performances too, but it is Dillon who carries the film on his shoulders. His masculine charm and appeal reminded me of Stallone in the first Rocky. But even with the charm, Dillon still manages to exude vulnerability and depth to a character who is struggling to find his place in the world.The ending to the film is rich with irony. It clearly establishes how life can be so unpredictable, mysterious and harsh. The characters in the film clearly took up drugs and their lifestyle to escape the unpredictability and the harshness of real life, but they forgot that life's realities always have a way of catching up with you no matter how hard you try to escape them.

It's 1971 American Northwest. Rob (Matt Dillon), his girlfriend Dianne (Kelly Lynch), his second Rick (James Le Gros) and Rick's girl Nadine (Heather Graham) are all drug addicts. They rob drugstores with well planned schemes. Federal agent Gentry (James Remar) stakes out the group waiting for them to slip up.Director Gus Van Sant brings a jazzy hypnotic sense to the feel of being on drugs. He infuses the movie with an off-center sense of humor. The four leads all contribute some great work. Matt Dillon is a terrific lead. Kelly Lynch is a perfect match. She has the same power without the manic personality of Dillon. James Le Gros is a great second and Heather Graham is build to be a victim in this movie.