Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Livestonth
I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Fleur
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
runamokprods
While this certainly has it's moments, especially in the very strong performances by Nolte, Midler and Dreyfuss, time has dulled what I remember of it's satirical edge. Paul Mazursky always seemed torn between making socially provocative if still mainstream movies, and making movies that were way too cute for their own good – and this is a great example of both sides. There are some really incisive and funny moments about what it means to be rich and poor in America. Unfortunately - for example - there are also about 300 cuts to reaction shots from the family dog – a good 290 more than needed. For every darkly subversive joke that works, there's a 'wacky' one that might feel more at home in a mid-range TV sit-com. Probably still worth seeing once for the acting, and the terrific moments that work, but - for me - not worth owning to for the loss of nerve and the moments that don't.
nms1982
"Down and Out..." is an enjoyable enough, light mid-'80s time capsule directed by Paul Mazursky ("Moscow on the Hudson"). It is a reimagining of the far superior film "Boudu Saved From Drowning"--a movie by Jean Renoir that preceded it by 54 years. In this version, which features a good line- up--Nick Nolte as the central character, a vagrant; Richard Dreyfuss as the man who takes him in; and the always capable Bette Midler as Dreyfuss' laughable wife--Nolte's character, after being permitted to stay in the swanky home of Dreyfuss', who saves him, ends up bedding not just the mistress and the wife, but also the daughter. Unlike the source material he also ends up sticking around it seems. This movie is worth a watch, it's just not particularly memorable, there is nothing special about it--and it seems like Dreyfuss has played the same sort of character many times. In "What About Bob" he also portrays a middleaged family man whose life is turned upside-down by a guest. In this case the guest was first invited, and all the womenfolk want in his pants. And, like "What About Bob," also a far superior flick, the family man's fam/etc. all seem to like the guest more than the ineffectual patriarch. The Dreyfuss character gives the Nolte character a look at the very end like "You totally took over, didn't you? Not sure how I feel about that, even though I basically like you too." But at no point did I feel sorry for the Dreyfuss character, a philandering, quite ordinary and not so likable rich guy. This movie is good enough to spend part of a lazy afternoon on--just expect little other than a competently made, somewhat funny film with a better-than-average cast. If you want to see essentially the same story but a much more worthwhile version of it though see the excellent "Boudu Saved..."
Michael Neumann
Paul Mazursky's southern California update of Jean Renoir's 1932 comedy 'Boudo Saved From Drowning' stars Nick Nolte as a skid row derelict rescued from attempting suicide in the backyard swimming pool of upscale executive Richard Dreyfuss. Installed quite suddenly in the lap of luxury, Nolte begins exerting unusual influence over his benefactors, but the ambiguity of the character and his intentions is needlessly destroyed in the final scenes. Mazursky is on familiar ground for most of the movie, as always at his best when mocking the lifestyles of the rich and trendy, but it's a shame that he felt compelled to combine scenes of near sublime social satire with indiscriminate numbskull farce. Someone should have told him that seeing people fall fully clothed into a swimming pool (as most of the cast is required to do at the film's climax) is only funny when you're there to witness it firsthand.
ratnazafu
One of the charms of Down and Out is it's "dated" quality. Paul Mazursky has a great talent for capturing an era in popular culture and some of his movies, such as Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice are incredible historical records of their times as well as durable entertainment. Down and Out jump-started Richard Dreyfuss' flagging career, as well as Bette Midler's as a movie actress and Little Richard as a popular singer. This is something modern audiences probably don't know, just a historical side note. Nick Nolte prepared for the part by actually living on the street and not bathing for a month. An actor who takes his parts seriously.Another fun quality of Mazursky's films is that he puts his friends and family into his movies. Don Muhich, the dog psychiatrist, was Paul's psychotherapist in the '70s and has that role in two other Mazursky movies (B&C&T&A and Blume in Love)
