Five Easy Pieces

I’m 50:50 about this film, really. I wanted to like it. It does contain plenty of classic Americana, some nice shots, and some very competent acting from Nicholson and others. The central scene of the film, where Nicholson is trying to order in a diner, is also him at his sarcastic best: work we’ve also seen in later films like As Good As It Gets.

But fundamentally, the film is actually quite boring. The premise has potential: concert pianist turned oil rigger returns to his roots. But the execution is so dry, so tedious, that it really just didn’t hold my interest. The film ends without any conclusion, and is ultimately unsatisfying.