Midnight Cowboy (1969)

 This happens to be my dad's favorite films, but it is certainly not mine despite being a masterpiece.

Essentially a two person drama, this film explores tons of subjects still only hinted at in 1969, though it was given an X rating though it seems relatively tame by today's standards. Joe Buck (Jon Voight) doesn't realize until the end of the film that he's no hustler though he desperately wants to be, leaving his small town Texas. It is only through flashbacks when you realize that not only was he likely sexually abused (though by whom it's unclear) as a child and then raped his girlfriend, as it is heavily implied. Still, he seems to be a good guy (at least until toward the end) and compared to Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), he actually has morals. Ratso is a mess, suffering from a cough that never goes away and has a limp. He steals, just enough to get by as they live in a condemned building with no heat or electricity. 

Just when Joe's life finally makes sense again, Ratso takes a turn for the worst so Joe robs and gags a nice old man, still struggling with his sexuality just as Joe appears to be doing. But when Ratso dies en route to Miami, Joe saves his dignity by putting his arm around him so they can finish the journey together. 

Now, there are tons of flashbacks, trying to truly delve into the mind of Joe Buck. Joe is meant to be the main character, and yet, I feel that you manage to learn more about Ratso and Hoffman's performance is certainly the one you can't take your eyes off of, though Voight is no slouch. Sylvia Miles is brilliant in her small cameo as Cass who is Joe's first mark, though he turns out to be just another one of hers. However, the set is also a true character as you feel as though you are really in an abandoned building, not one that was created on a sound stage and there are a variety of real characters, so despite the jumbled flashbacks, this film is superb. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-The term Joe uses for homosexual is outdated and unacceptable, but the fact that it was said showed just how much Hollywood changed in a few short years.

-During Joe's sex scene with Sylvia Miles, there are some bizarre shows on the TV.

-The scattered amount of times Ratso covers when he coughs just disgusts me, especially given the pandemic. 

-The scene where the mother and son play around with a mouse (unclear if its real or fake) is just plain disturbing.