This movie is all about boredom and disappointment, following the lives of three characters as they try to make life more interesting by moving to a different location. Willie is in the center of it, and he owns a small apartment in one of New York's lower-class neighborhoods. He is actually from Hungary, but he completely despises his heritage, and hates when his relatives speak to him in his native tongue. His cousin, Eva Mona, comes in from Hungary and he's forced to let her stay in his apartment. They both share a similar disdain for Eastern European culture, but Willie seems to be trying to delude himself that he enjoys his new American life. He tries to be complacent with eating TV dinners, playing card games, and watching TV for hours on end. Eva finds this completely boring and can't wait to go to Cleveland to stay with her Aunt Lotte. Although Willie and her begin on shaky grounds, by the time she leaves, a kind of bond grows between them.
Willie has a good friend, Eddie, and they're both unemployed, getting their money through horse races and fixed poker games. They sense the boredom, the monotony setting in, and they're trying to avoid it. In fact, at one of their fixed poker games, they play with a few men who are in a similar situation: victims of repeated defeat and disappointment. One of them is at the breaking point and displays aggression while the others are cowardly, weak, resigned. They meet another man, a factory worker, and it's obvious that he doesn't enjoy being a working stiff. In an effort to try to avoid turning into these men, Willie and Eddie decide to take a trip to Cleveland and visit Eva.
Cleveland isn't exactly as exciting as they had hoped, and Eddie, bored out of his mind, remarks that "Everything's the same". Eva is working at a hot dog stand and is involved with a man she's only half-interested in. n a matter of days, Eddie and Willie are reduced to sitting around playing card games again. The three decide to escape the monotony by going down to Florida and taking advantage of the wonderful weather. However, the weather is the only thing changes; the men go to the track to try and augment their funds while Eva spends most of her time inside. Once again, this paradise yields no heightened degree of happiness.
The problem the three characters face is that they too often look for external factors to make them happy. Moving to somewhere nicer or making more money cannot change the numbing repetition; to do that, they must look on themselves and appreciate their company more. Unfortunately, by the end, the two men have become more like the people they were trying to avoid becoming: Willie is more aggressive, Eddie is more resigned.
The film really isn't as depressing as this review may make it seem. It has some very funny moments and is generally entertaining. Even the boredom is fun to watch, and this is achieved because of the very realistic dialogue. I found myself often relating to conversations they hold, being all too familiar with the awkward pauses. The characterization is impressive as well; Willie, Eddie, and Eva are all believable and we can understand their problems. If anyone has ever been bored to tears, they'll know exactly what the three are feeling.
Willie has a good friend, Eddie, and they're both unemployed, getting their money through horse races and fixed poker games. They sense the boredom, the monotony setting in, and they're trying to avoid it. In fact, at one of their fixed poker games, they play with a few men who are in a similar situation: victims of repeated defeat and disappointment. One of them is at the breaking point and displays aggression while the others are cowardly, weak, resigned. They meet another man, a factory worker, and it's obvious that he doesn't enjoy being a working stiff. In an effort to try to avoid turning into these men, Willie and Eddie decide to take a trip to Cleveland and visit Eva.
Cleveland isn't exactly as exciting as they had hoped, and Eddie, bored out of his mind, remarks that "Everything's the same". Eva is working at a hot dog stand and is involved with a man she's only half-interested in. n a matter of days, Eddie and Willie are reduced to sitting around playing card games again. The three decide to escape the monotony by going down to Florida and taking advantage of the wonderful weather. However, the weather is the only thing changes; the men go to the track to try and augment their funds while Eva spends most of her time inside. Once again, this paradise yields no heightened degree of happiness.
The problem the three characters face is that they too often look for external factors to make them happy. Moving to somewhere nicer or making more money cannot change the numbing repetition; to do that, they must look on themselves and appreciate their company more. Unfortunately, by the end, the two men have become more like the people they were trying to avoid becoming: Willie is more aggressive, Eddie is more resigned.
The film really isn't as depressing as this review may make it seem. It has some very funny moments and is generally entertaining. Even the boredom is fun to watch, and this is achieved because of the very realistic dialogue. I found myself often relating to conversations they hold, being all too familiar with the awkward pauses. The characterization is impressive as well; Willie, Eddie, and Eva are all believable and we can understand their problems. If anyone has ever been bored to tears, they'll know exactly what the three are feeling.