Midnight Cowboy

 

Midnight Cowboy 1969

·       Director: John Schlessinger

·       Cast: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro

·       Why? Nilsson’s ‘Everybody’s Talking’

·       Seen: Once, maybe twice before. Now 29 August 2025      

       Sweet-faced Texas hick Joe (Voight) heads for NY to service sex-hungry rich women. He’s cocky but vulnerable and lonely. He meets up with crippled con man Ratso Rizzo (Hoffman). It goes badly.

       I’m watching it this time because I’m on a Nilsson kick and this was his first big hit. A great song. The film itself isn’t maybe as powerful as when it came out but it still packs a punch. It’s maybe Hoffman’s best role and Voight is terrific. Too bad he turned into a right-wing fanatic. 

4* of 5