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Smoke

R Released Jun 9, 1995 1h 52m Drama List
88% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Writer Paul Benjamin (William Hurt) is nearly hit by a bus when he leaves Auggie Wren's (Harvey Keitel) smoke shop. Stranger Rashid Cole (Harold Perrineau Jr.) saves his life, and soon middle-aged Paul tells homeless Rashid that he wouldn't mind a short-term housemate. Still grieving over his wife's murder, Paul is moved by both Rashid's quest to reconnect with his father (Forest Whitaker) and Auggie's discovery that a woman who might be his daughter is about to give birth.
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Smoke

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Critics Consensus

Smoke draws in a stellar ensemble, holds the audience's attention with a robust blend of connected stories, and sends viewers out on a pleasurable high.

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Critics Reviews

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Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune Easily one of the most inventive and original films of the year. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 29, 2024 Full Review Manohla Dargis Spin It's smooth where it should be ragged, soft where it should be tough. And while that makes for charm, it doesn't much make for honesty. Dec 27, 2022 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader It’s quite possible that I’d like Smoke a little more if Harvey and Bob and their cheering section liked it a little less. Rated: 1/4 Jun 7, 2022 Full Review Farah Cheded A Good Movie To Watch [Paul] Auster’s contemplative, dialogue-driven screenplay — along with the film’s unhurried editing and luxuriating cinematography — make Smoke a gorgeous example of the art of savoring, which is exactly what you want to do with this wonderful movie. Sep 23, 2023 Full Review Quentin Crisp Christopher Street A curious and interesting picture. Apr 25, 2022 Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Interesting drama with thriller elements. Dec 26, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member It’s the summer of 1990 Harvey Keitel plays Auggie who runs a tobacco shop in the Big Apple and some individuals’ lives are about to change they just don’t know it William Hurt, Ashley Judd, Forest Whitaker, and Harold Perrineau are connected by a somewhat 'chain of smoking' events part 1 focuses on Paul, an author whom is still recovering from his wife's murder, he almost gets hit by a car but is saved at the last minute by a teen boy named Rashid part 2 with Rashid sheds more light on his background; his mother is deceased and he's been estranged with his father for 12 years but he manages to track him down finding him a broken soul as well as an injury he sustained long ago part 3 shows more of Auggie's life, his ex Stockard Channing as Ruby comes in showing his daughter, Felicity who's in a bit of a rough patch A great collection of talented actors intersecting in ways that are unique but challenging I actually found Rashid’s story the most fascinating because he wants to know his father even if he has to keep it to himself and it actually is very heartbreaking to watch seeing it unfold The sudden realizations are pretty tough to digest and pretty much anybody who’s been through this can attach to it If you can't share your secrets with your friends then what kind of friend are you?, life just wouldn't be worth living, if you're gonna die what's more important: a good book or a good smoke?, to make a good story you have to know how to push all the right buttons, you can't really weigh how much you smoke it's like trying to weigh your soul Evocative, smoothly paced, well-written, drama filled, and keeps you interested to see where these characters go from their unplanned encounters There’s many people out there who smoke cigarettes and cigars as their way of dealing with certain situations they need to work on or to make life easier A film like this says whatever goes on with us something is bound to go up in smoke either as a sign or a reminder what we can still fix Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/11/23 Full Review Matt S It's a wonderful film. Subtle, rich character development, brilliant acting. Minor Spoiler alert-There's a scene where Harvey Keitel shows William Hurt a scrapbook of pictures he's taken over the years. Every day, same location. William Hurt flips through the book, impressed by his diligence, but says "I don't get it".Keitel guides him to a picture where he, by chance, captured s photo of Hurt's late wife, sho happened to be walking in the spot Keitel always photographs. Hurt looks at it, and says- "Look at my sweet darling", and starts crying. Keitel hugs him. I'm tearing up as I write about it. It's beautiful. It's that kind of film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/13/23 Full Review Steve D The great cast do just enough to make it work. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Great movie, It's like one of the photos Auggie takes each day. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review pete w I wish I could give this a 20. They don't make movies like this anymore. It has everything you could ever want. Don't miss it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L "I'm telling ya, there's gonna be another war. I mean, those flops at the Pentagon gonna be out of a job unless they find a new enemy. And they got this 'Saddam' character now ... I mean, they've gotta hit him with all they've got." Release Date: June 9, 1995 Dialogue-heavy films certainly aren't bad or dull by default; in fact, many of the most emotionally weighty, philosophical, introspective, and beloved films deal with the kind of understated character interactions that Smoke does. However, there is a totally unshakeable literary flavor that just doesn't seem to translate that well here. The closest that I can describe it is if you consider a play that is adapted into a film without major alterations apart from a budget and a camera: the dialogue and narrative structure are there, but it feels like forcing a jigsaw puzzle piece in a place where it doesn't quite fit. A few too many heartstring-tugging subplots to really carry the sensation that the screenplay is built on conveying close-knit, everyday relationships through candid dialogue. Also, Wayne Wang seemed almost unable to decide what gently laughing reaction shot to end this film with, so he just throws four or five in there and ultimately winds up with this strangely awkward note to go out on. Here I was, thinking I might have turned a corner with William Hurt, that perhaps I had just seen a distinct subset of his films that seemed to focus on emotionally shattered guys that now drone through life in a zombie-like stupor with a monotone voice no matter the circumstances. But that doesn't seem to be true, that seems to be a majority of his films - he's got a very distinctive and consistent delivery that seems to have rendered him consistently typecast. (3/5) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/13/21 Full Review Read all reviews
Smoke

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Movie Info

Synopsis Writer Paul Benjamin (William Hurt) is nearly hit by a bus when he leaves Auggie Wren's (Harvey Keitel) smoke shop. Stranger Rashid Cole (Harold Perrineau Jr.) saves his life, and soon middle-aged Paul tells homeless Rashid that he wouldn't mind a short-term housemate. Still grieving over his wife's murder, Paul is moved by both Rashid's quest to reconnect with his father (Forest Whitaker) and Auggie's discovery that a woman who might be his daughter is about to give birth.
Director
Wayne Wang, John Landis
Producer
Robert K. Weiss
Screenwriter
Paul Auster
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 9, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.3M
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Surround
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