Dustin Hoffman is surprisingly serious, surprisingly gritty playing a recently paroled thief named Max Dembo who can't seem to straighten out his life. After meeting a new lady who is very supportive of him, Dembo reverts back to the only thing he really knows: robbery. Tough and vivid character study based on real-life convict Edward Bunker's novel "No Beast So Fierce" gives Hoffman a wonderful chance as an actor to stretch some technical muscles (he hadn't been this focused in years). Ulu Grosbard's atmospheric direction aids in Hoffman's triumph, as well as some flavorful dialogue (worked on by several writers). Theresa Russell is lovely as the smitten secretary in Max's life, supporting work from M. Emmet Walsh also good. The picture is marred by gaps of logic or credibility, not to mention by a tepid finale, but otherwise it's quite gripping. *** from ****
Review of Straight Time
