I am a big fan of old school noir flicks, and so I figured today would be time for a post about such a gem. The Driver, a 1978 caper directed by Walter Hill and starring Ryan O'Neal and Bruce Dern, follows the story of a detective trying to track down the getaway artist that is O'Neal. The car chases rival those of French Connection and quite possibly Ronin, but it earns my pick for its acknowledgement of older film noir. Not enough movies today are made this down and dirty while remaining consistent and engaging without relying on CGI. The Brooklyn Academy of Music feels the same way, and that is why they are presenting this film along with a Q & A session with cinema historian Elliot Stein on the same night in their Rose Cinemas house.

Yes, technically this isn't an independent feature per se, but I do love me some gritty 70s noir so why can't I tread off the stream once in a while? Hill's The Driver will be shown at 6:50pm and 9:30pm on March 26. Your move, hot shot.

“...action sequences which have a near abstract visual power."
Pauline Kael