Fingers

Part two of Saturday's lineup.

Harvey Keitel plays a classical pianist who does occasional collection work for his small-time loanshark dad. This is one of Keitel's best performances: 'Fingers' is a sociopath who constantly blasts 'Summertime' on his portable radio, beats a pizza shop owner in front of his son, rapes (or was she asking for it?) Tanya Roberts in a bathroom, leers at a nearby young girl while trying to talk his way out of being arrested, and stalks and rapes (or was *she* asking for it?) Tisa Farrow for her vacant stare. You don't like the guy, you're amazed that more characters onscreen aren't kicking three kinds of crap out of him, and you don't think you'll like where it's all going to end up.

Where it's all going to end up is obvious from the moment Dad says "hey, by the way, that last job is going to be tough: the guy stuck a gun in my ear when I came for my money", but Keitel's performance of the ostensibly conflicted and genuinely unstable 'Fingers' is fantastic enough to keep you watching. Knowing Keitel's reputation as a method actor, you have to wonder what lengths he went to when preparing for this film. Especially during the prostate exam.

All in all, a fine and vastly underrated film.

* * * R A T I N G * * *
Fingers (IMDB)

Wince : [**___] (-1 * for being a sociopath)
Flinch : [****_]
Retch : [*____]
Gape : [***__]

Beerequisite : [*____]
Pornability : [**___]
Obscurity : [**___]
Explicability : [****_]