Fingers (1978)

Truly Dreadful Film

Nice effects though.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The pianist/loan shark collector at the center of writer-director James Toback's "Fingers" is a quirky, volatile character, one with a defensive edge and a hair-trigger temper. Yet, by the end of the film, he's in far worse shape than he was at the beginning, making him not so much a crestfallen anti-hero as simply a bad example. Harvey Keitel is marvelous in the lead--tense and coiled, yet magnetic--and he's allowed room by the director to give his character some boyish shading (when he's playing his beloved vintage pop tunes on his cassette recorder in public). But the character has no life outside of his duties for his father, his attraction to a teasing sculptress and his dark, personal world of music. He has no friends, he fights with everyone he comes into contact with, he argues with his doctor doing a prostate exam and his virtuosity at the piano does not pay him back in kind. Some see this, Toback's directorial debut, as a portrait of a character in hell, but by not writing a full, rounded life for this man, it's a movie traveling a dead-end street. It seems extremely lazy and monotonous from a narrative standpoint, although the picture (filmed in wintry New York City, with its brown buildings and bare tress) certainly looks good. Personal taste will have to decide its ultimate impact. ** from ****

"Fingers" is the offbeat, intriguing study of one dysfunctional character, Jimmy (Harvey Keitel), a man who straddles two distinct worlds. In one, he's the reluctant debt collector for his mobster father Ben (Michael V. Gazzo), and a man who won't hesitate to use violence to get the job done. However, he's also an obsessive music lover, and talented pianist with the lofty ambition of performing at Carnegie Hall. He puts off what will prove to be a brutal confrontation at the end to pursue the spaced-out Carol (Tisa Farrow). Writer / director James Toback's unique little movie is more than just the typical NYC gangster picture. It does feature excellent use of NYC locations, and it does have some very brutal moments, but is a decidedly laid back rather than intense experience, with deliberate pacing. The movie is marked by a very erotic quality, whether Jimmy is making the acquaintance of the sexually charged club owner Dreems (Jim Brown, in a captivating low key portrayal), or having an encounter with Julie (Tanya Roberts). We even get a glimpse of Keitel nudity, 14 years before he bared all in Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant". The movie has a serious, somber mood, yet at the same time is not without some humour. It's a very good vehicle for Keitel, who really throws himself into the twisted main role; other familiar faces such as Danny Aiello, Ed Marinaro, Marian Seldes, Lenny Montana, Tom Signorelli, Frank Pesce, and Zack Norman comprise the supporting cast, and the movie is now notable for co-starring two future 'Sopranos' regulars, Tony Sirico as young mobster Riccamonza and Dominic Chianese as Arthur Fox. But Keitel is truly the one to watch playing an obviously flawed, yet compelling individual with more than his fair share of psycho sexual problems, a certain arrogance, and a tendency towards explosive behaviour who also wants something more out of life. Film fans looking for something a little off the beaten path and deserving of more attention are advised to check out "Fingers", as it refrains from ever being too predictable and tells its story in a very straightforward manner. It's gritty and provocative and rather memorable as well; it's not for all tastes but is rewarding for those who seek it out. Seven out of 10.

A dour character study featuring what may very well be Harvey Keitel's best performance. Keitel is a would-be concert pianist torn between the world of art and crime. His institutionalized mother wants him to play Carnegie Hall, while his father, a low-life Mafioso, wants him to continue as his bag man. Keitel's performance here is ferocious. He's sensitive and clearly artistic while at the same time ruthlessly (and violently) loyal to his father. In the end, all he wants is love and without it he can't respond to anything or anyone, including his would-be girlfriend (Tisa Farrow). Writer-director James Toback has had a spotty directing career over the years and has yet to fulfill the promise he displays here. Though there's limited action and only a few (brutal) spurts of violence, FINGERS is extremely exciting, harnessed by Keitel's brilliance. The strong supporting cast includes Michael V. Gazzo as Keitel's father, Jim Brown as a very nasty pimp, Danny Aiello, Marian Seldes, Tanya Roberts and Dominic Chianese in a very unlikely role. Filmed in New York with great cinematography by Michael Chapman.

'Fingers' is the kind of movie that makes me value the 1970s over any other decade. A complex portrait of Jimmy Fingers, an ex-debt collector turned wanna be concert pianist (Harvey Keitel, in one of his top five performances), who finds himself drawn back into his old line of work as a favour to his aging gangster father (Michael V. Gazzo, 'The Godfather 2', 'Fear City'). Fingers isn't the most likable character, is obsessed by sex and music, both doo wop (which he plays at top volume on a boom box) and classical, and is obviously doomed to fail. Keitel is absolutely mesmerizing on screen, and the movie is filled with a supporting cast of interesting faces, including Jim Brown ('Slaughter'), Tisa Farrow (Fulci's 'Zombie Flesh Eaters'!), Danny Aiello ('Do The Right Thing', 'Jacob's Ladder'), future "Angel" Tanya Roberts, and at least two Sopranos. I don't know why 'Fingers' isn't mentioned as much as the more celebrated 1970s crime movies of Scorsese and Coppola. Godard and Tarantino are both fans of this movie, and you will be too if you give it a look. Great stuff!