This movie offers nothing new in the plot department, but it is well acted. Admittedly, there are four plots – not just one or two – to keep our attention focused. All four, of course, are cliché ridden and, as might be expected, their resolution is banal and pat. Two are resolved by the death of one of the characters, one by the character "coming down to earth", and the other is simply presented as a fait accompli without any of the promised details telling us how the community came to accept this change. All the same, what the movie lacks in the writing department, it more than makes up for in the skill of its players. Presumably, acting is what director Martin Ritt focused on. He sure didn't worry about innovation, pacing or presentation, let alone building up interest and suspense.
Review of No Down Payment
