Beau Bridges buys a New York apartment building and moves in to manage it. That is basically the premise. But there is much more to it than that. I can usually tell from fade-in whether a movie is one that I can get into and if I buy into the characters' world, in other words if it feels authentic or not. And, this film really delivers. To begin with, Beau really must have "it," as many women come on to him, including the black tenants. His eccentric mother, played wonderfully by Lee Grant is a real hoot, but the heart of the film belongs to the people who live, dream, struggle and love in this apartment building. One of which is a married black woman who falls for him and when her husband finds out all hell breaks loose. I feel like my meager words can't really capture what this film does, the life of the early 1970s in a borough of New York. With direction by Hal Ashby, the film has an affection for its complicated characters and their drive to get through today and to have a better tomorrow. And, Pearl Bailey adds her sassy self to the mix. This is really one of the best 1970s films I've ever seen. Watch "The Landlord" and see Beau Bridges at his best as he is in the raw reality of 1970s New York.
Review of The Landlord
