The film stars Jon Voight as a naive Texan and Dustin Hoffman as Ratso Rizzo, the bum who initially cons him and eventually befriends him. Voight comes to New York expecting to make money off of rich city women as a male hustler. However, his callowness leaves him broke. That’s when the crippled, coughing, stealing, and nasally-voiced Ratso invites him to stay in Rizzo’s home on a condemned lot. Because they are both just trying to survive on the streets of New York, they befriend each other. When they are not walking the streets, stealing, or trying to bring in money, they talk and we slowly see into the pitiful lives of Joe and Ratso. Since winter has hit, Ratso gets ill so they decide to head out to Florida. On the way Rico (as he wanted to be called) spent his last breath. Both actors have powerful performances and Nillson’s Everybodys Talking is a nice added touch to the soundtrack.

4/5 Stars