movie world

Nicky (Cassavetes) is a bookie who works for mobster Dave Resnick (Sanford Meisner) and he’s made the mistake of stealing from his boss. His bookie partner has already been killed and Nicky knows he’s targeted for a hit himself. Desperate and paranoid, hiding out in a seedy hotel room, he calls his childhood friend Mikey (Falk) to come and help him out … but when Mikey shows up Nicky doesn’t even trust him. This opening sequence, in which Mikey patiently tries to calm and reassure Nicky, offering him medicine for the pain of an ulcer, promising to help him get away, has the tone of a fractured love story. There are bonds between the two which reach back to childhood – but as the night progresses we learn that those bonds are tightly intertwined with more complicated feelings, envy and resentment, and May gradually exposes the conflicted nature of all close relationships – the negotiations and suspicions and vulnerabilities which genuine emotional attachment tentatively holds together.

Director: Elaine May
Cast: Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, Ned Beatty
Country: USA
Genre: Crime, Drama

BD50, DVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:46:22 | 41.5 Gb + 7.13 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Collaborators - in this new program, actor Joyce Van Patten and distributor Julian Schlossberg discuss the visual style and tone of Mikey and Nicky and explain why they believe it is a very special film. There are additional comments about Elaine May's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).

• Critics - in this new program, critics Richard Brody and Carrie Rickey deconstruct Mikey and Nicky and discuss Elaine May's career. The program was created exclusively for Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

• Peter Falk - in this archival audio interview, Peter Falk discusses his passion for acting and the evolution of his career, some of the crucial roles/characters that he was hired to play, and his contribution to Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky. The interview was conducted by Julian Schlossberg for the radio program Movie Talk in 1976. In English, not subtitled. (46 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Mikey and Nicky. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• TV Spot - vintage TV Spot for Mikey and Nicky. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080p).