Yeah, that was the performance that really put Morgan Freeman on the map. It was all the buzz back in the day as it got him a surprising Oscar nod. Schatzberg is an example of one of the “New Hollywood” directors that made a few interesting films in the seventies aimed at an intelligent adult audience but then got pushed into less interesting fare once the eighties came around. He always seemed to do a good job with actors, although Christopher Reeves didn’t do anything for me in this one, and some of his films like this one, Honeysuckle Rose, and even No Small Affair managed to be better than one would have thought due to what Schatzberg gets out of his cast. When he had good actors they would really shine, like Freeman and Kathy Baker here, but even when he had cast members that normally weren’t so hot, he could still get more out of them than most directors seemed to be able to do.
the most realistic scene is when Mimi rogers comes outta of the bodega, shockingly real
Rudy
Today I had the pleasure of catching a rare movie on Showtime’s showcase channel, the movie was Street Smart released in 1987 it stars Chris Reeve, Morgan Freeman, Mimi Rogers and Kathy Baker. I was blown away how great this movie is. It packs Morgan Freeman’s greatest performance as a sleazy pimp but houses a great Chris Reeves performance as an investigative journalist. Great cinematography from the man that brought you Panic In Needle Park and Scarecrow. This film is a highpoint for Cannon Pictures. If your a fan of vintage New York City pre Giuliani, check it out! A Must for New Yorkers!
Its on DVD
http://www.amazon.com/Street-Smart-Christopher-Reeve/dp/B0000AM6J0
It needs to be on Mubi and people need to see it