The Conversation (1974)

Director: Coppola

Actors: Gene Hackman, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford

Plot A paranoid and secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that a couple he is spying on will be murdered.

Pros: Hackman, Direction

Cons: Too long, sluggish pace, Sparse dialog, Lack of good Supporting characters

"The Conversation" is interesting rather than good. Hackman plays a paranoid, introverted and lonely PI/wiretapper who stumbles upon what he thinks is a possible murder plot. But "The Conversation" isn't really a thriller but a character study and I found his character rather dull.

Which is a bad thing - since no other character is really developed. Hackman really is the entire movie. Hackman does an excellent job, but given the repressed nature of his character there's not much to express.

Other matters: The audio surveillance equipment that was so fascinating and scary in 1974 now seems quint and funny. And the 70s truly were the decade of ugly. Ugly clothes, ugly haircuts, and ugly cars.

Conclusion: Highly rated by the critics, they find it a "fascinating study of paranoia, invasion of privacy, and the problem of conscience". But I didn't find a lot of "there" there. The lack of good dialogue or characters left me cold. Rating **1/2