Review of Little Fauss and Big Halsy

I didn't know how to rate this movie. It's such a strange slice of seventies life. The main character, Redord's Big Halsy, is a totally amoral drifter and grifter. He never changes throughout the entire movie, not one bit. Oh, he lets slip a few moments of doubt, here and there, but he's incapable of being someone anyone can depend on. Ever. Then there's Michael Pollard's Little Fauss, his real name, apparently. A strange, shy, bumbling incompetent, his mannerisms make him hard to feel sorry for, much less root for. His parents, with scenery-chewing peformances by Noah Beery and Lucille Benson- everyone of a certain age will recognize these two fine supporting actors- are just as odd, speaking with strange country accents and living just awful, hard-scrabble lives. The only difference in their living circumstances is at least they have a house. Halsy, on the other hand, lives wherever he can con someone into a bed, even if he has to pimp his girl to a sleazy photographer at the motorcycle race, a guy who might have his eye as much on Halsy's often-uncovered torso as on his bikini-topped girl. If he can't find a bed, Halsy sleeps in abandoned buildings or sheds. And the girls he picks up put up with it. It's such strange movie, but the thing is, to play these roles the acting has to be superb, and Redford's is. It's an artistic tour de force for him to plaster that phony, toothsome smile on his face, or try to be convincing as he boastfully and obviously lies. He makes you understand every nuance of what Halsy wants out of the people around him and why he wants it. Pollard, Beery, Benson and every supporting actor manage to flesh out these strange characters in a convincing and entertaining way. I guess in the end, despite the fact I find the movie very entertaining, I don't think it deserves an eight for the ultimate nihilism of its story. Although Little learns a life lesson on how to judge people by their actions rather than their looks or charisma, that's hardly a difficult or life-altering discovery. It's a movie that isn't going to grab you with any new insight into life, but it's enjoyable to watch and I recommend it.