About

Elaine May’s celebrated examination of male friendship stars John Cassavetes and Peter Falk — real life pals and frequent collaborators in their own right — as two men with a lifetime of history together attempting to evade the mob over one long night.

Cassavetes plays Nicky, a gangster who is lying low after stealing money from his boss. Convinced he is going to be killed, he calls his childhood compadre Mikey (Falk) for help. As a frenzied night unfolds, the complex bonds of friendship are laid bare and pushed to their limit.

May’s third feature film ran dramatically over budget, primarily due to her approach of running multiple cameras simultaneously to encourage improvisation from her stars. Ultimately using over a million feet of celluloid, the production took two years to edit, with May losing her director’s cut in the subsequent battle with the studio. Eventually reclaimed and restored to her vision, the film now stands as one of May's most acclaimed achievements, with its intense, spontaneous energy vindicating her steadfast conviction in her radical directorial method.