Review of The Rag Man

I'd heartily agree with those above who praise this film. I've check Max Davidson's filmography on this site and it was interesting to see how lengthy his career was. I don't remember seeing another Davidson vehicle, but I will watch for them in future. Coogan, of course, is superb in this film. In my opinion, as good as he was in The Kid. The Rag Man is an American jewel and a wonderful snapshot of its times. Like Speedy, the New York City location footage in Rag Man is a great example of the "inadvertent documentary," literally freezing the Lower East Side in time. The two Yiddish intertitles are a treat. Sadly, sharp, but gentle contrast in ethnicity is almost lost as a comedic device in the wake of today's "political correctness" (who coined that stupid phrase anyway?) Face it kids, people are different and those differences can be humorous without being mean or berating. And finally, the film contains possibly one of the best Prohibition gags of all time when precious wine bottles are emptied for their value as recyclable glass. I highly recommend this sweet little movie.