Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

I'll tell you why so serious

best movie i've ever seen.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Reviewed May 2010Matt Dillon dons a well written, interesting and a complex role and does full justice to it. The instances of robbery and the way they get back at the cops initially are entertaining and clever. The hallucinations and visions of the lead character though thoughtful, did not materialize as good as it could have been. This movie stands it's ground mainly because of good performances from both lead and the supporting cast which otherwise has a highly structured narrative though very well written and shot, does not bring anything quite new as it follows a tight order of introducing characters, explaining what and how they do stuff, give a hurdle or two in their smooth going, put a strong incident which affects all and a Hollywood default climax that follows. It could have been more gritty and hard hitting with a more innovative narrative. Even with all it's technical and artistic misgivings, it is still a terrific watch.

It's 1971 American Northwest. Rob (Matt Dillon), his girlfriend Dianne (Kelly Lynch), his second Rick (James Le Gros) and Rick's girl Nadine (Heather Graham) are all drug addicts. They rob drugstores with well planned schemes. Federal agent Gentry (James Remar) stakes out the group waiting for them to slip up.Director Gus Van Sant brings a jazzy hypnotic sense to the feel of being on drugs. He infuses the movie with an off-center sense of humor. The four leads all contribute some great work. Matt Dillon is a terrific lead. Kelly Lynch is a perfect match. She has the same power without the manic personality of Dillon. James Le Gros is a great second and Heather Graham is build to be a victim in this movie.

Based on a true story of the experiences of James Fogle (Which I wasn't aware of at first) Bob (Matt Dillon) is a drug addict, who robs drug stores to get his fix. He brings along his partners in crime, Diane (Kelly Lynch) James Le Gros (Rick) and Heather Graham (Nadine) This is not a pleasant film to witness. It's rough around the edges, grueling to get through, but oh, so worth it! I consider this movie to be a near masterpiece for many reasons. The sheer skill of Gus Van Sant, says it all. He may have been responsible for the crappy Psycho remake, but when the man is motivated, he's hard to beat. The gritty nature of this film is absolutely perfect, and I thought the drug abuse was extremely realistic. I felt the desperation of Bob, as well as the undeniable shame that stemmed from robbing drug stores to maintain his habit. It also helps that despite Bob's selfish mannerisms, he manages to remain a sympathetic figure. He won't be sympathetic to everyone, but he was to me. All the credit goes to Matt Dillon for his sensational performance. Kelly Lynch is pretty good herself. She doesn't have as big a role to tackle, but her chemistry with Dillon was excellent, and was vital to the film's success. James Le Gros is good, whilst Heather Graham is splendid in one of her early roles as the clueless tag-along. Drugstore Cowboy also has touches of dark humor. It has a very funny stakeout scene that cracked me up. The most powerful part of the movie for me is when Bob goes straight for a little while. It's a really eye- opening experience, and reminded me how awful addiction can truly be. The movie ends on an ambiguous note. It makes you interpret the situation. I felt it was very smart and expertly done. Final Thoughts: I really don't think my words can do this movie justice. I found myself struggling at times to write a review for this movie. Excellent films often do that for me. Just go see it. It's a near classic film that is a must-see. Matt Dillon has rarely been better9.6/10

Speaking as a recovering opiate addict I can think of no other movie that depicts addiction in a more accurate realistic way. To be fair the man with the golden arm and hat full of rain were also very well done for their time but drugstore cowboy is the best.I have read reviews here that claim trainspotting or requiem for a dream as better.....not even close.The reason is although many of us ex junkies tended to glamorize drug use eventually we come to realize the redundancy and tediousness that consumes our existence. In the movie drugstore cowboy we see that very thing.They are always either getting high or, and this seems to take up much more time plotting the next score.So forget the melodramatic phony Hollywood depiction of drug addiction; if anyone wants to see the true nature of addiction with all the monotony that goes with it there will be no better movie than this .A couple of points I thought the movie took place in and around Portland Or...and to easily answer one reviewers curiosity on why Nadine was hanging around ....drugs.And