The film's challenges lie in the frequent, long and meandering scenes that add little to no inertia to plot progression. This is deliberate. To wonder about the scene's purpose is to discover its emotional meaning. What makes John Cassavetes' technique so fascinating and rewarding is that he revels in the messiness, the diversions, then expects us to find truth in it all.
This is my second go at The Killing of a Chinese Bookie as part of my John Cassavetes marathon. In my first attempt a few years ago, I failed to make it all the way through. It baffled and confused… read review