Oh Brother, What Art Thou? - MIKEY AND NICKY (1976)

Starting off their second season, Dolly Back wrestles with a filmic friendship that couldn’t be further from their own partnership, yet profoundly truthful in its own right. Elaine May’s 1976 crepuscular drama sees Peter Falk’s Mikey and John Cassavetes’ Nicky darting around the alleys and diners of Philadelphia, quietly in search of that fabled brotherly love. As their bond threatens to unravel in evaluation of life, loves, and ill-gotten gains, May’s deployment of improv techniques, theater background, and daring lighting approach creates an atmosphere that undeniably shook up your hosts, who are in equal parts delighted and mystified by this one of a kind film! In discussion of its infamous studio politics, opaque cinematography, and deeply vulnerable performances, we invite you in!

Nathan Rabin's Essay - Mikey and Nicky: Difficult Men