1. Diner (Levinson, 1982)
This is a movie I'd heard good things about and seemed right up my alley. I love films with strong ensemble casts and a script with dialogue, pacing and settings similar to a play. That all fits the description of Diner, and while I enjoyed it, at best I would say it falls safely in the territory of "pretty good." The first 2 acts are strong and feature interesting, well developed characters and good performances all around. Kevin Bacon is particularly compelling as the borderline sociopath Fenwick, which is a bittersweet reminder of how much talent he had in the prime of his career. Diner especially exceeds as a period piece, with an exceptional job capturing the look and feel of a 1959 Baltimore that breathes character. Unfortunately with these slice of life coming of age kind of tales, the 3rd act can often be difficult to balance between a satisfying conclusion to a movie and a realistic end for the characters we've watched develop. Diner fails to balance either of these sides of the coin, as the ending manages to be both dull and at times unrealistic, with at least one deus ex machina solution to a central issue for one character which really turned me off. It's worth sitting down to to see young Bacon, Paul Reiser, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern and Mickey Rourke ply their trade at a time when their careers were full of promise, although it certainly doesn't qualify as a must-watch.
