Busting (1974)
Theatrical Release: Feb. 24th, 1974
DVD-R Release: Jan. 3rd, 2012
Rating: R
Review by Craig Sorensen
Vice detectives Michael Keneely (Elliott Gould of The Muppet Movie) and Patrick Farrel (Robert Blake of Our Gang) don’t play by the rules, like most movie cops. Tired of busting prostitutes and pimps only to have them end up back on the street in the morning, the two cops decide to turn their attention to head man Carl Rizzo (Allen Garfield of Orgy Girls ’69). Unfortunately for them Rizzo has the legal system wrapped around his little finger.
Busting is the kind of ‘counter-culture’ establishment movie that was very prevalent during the 70’s after the success of M*A*S*H. I don’t know what it is about watching people who seem to have nothing but contempt for their jobs and the system that they work in, yet put their life on the line. I guess there’s a bit of wish fulfillment there (I know there are a few people at work I’d like to call assholes and yet still keep my job). Where as most films like this seem to revel in sending up the stiffness and uptightness of ‘the establishment’ with their character’s devil-may-care attitude, Busting takes a darker tact. Nothing that the characters do in this film will ever matter. All of the people they bust are out on the streets in no time and their bosses are all working for Rizzo the gangster. Any time they make headway in their case they get chastised by their bosses and given busy work to keep them out of the way (for some reason always involving homosexuals). They’re just a couple of guys fighting the system, only in this case, the system wins. It lends a slightly depressing edge to the film. So Busting does seem to come up a bit short in the comedy department. That might not be much of a problem though as it does deliver a few good action set-pieces. There is a foot chase scene in the middle of the film that is shot with long take tracking shots that works really well. This leads into a pretty suspenseful grocery store shoot-out.
- Read the full review at UnRatedFilm.com
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