SMOKE

US, 1995, 112 minutes, Colour.
William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, Harold Perrineau, Forest Whitaker, Stockard Channing, Ashley Judd, Victor Argo, Giancarlo Esposito, Jared Harris.
Directed by Wayne Wang.

Smoke is an extremely ingratiating comedy drama, Smoke is set mainly in a corner shop in Brooklyn and some houses down the street. It is the work of novelist, Paul Auster, ((The Music of Chance) and director, Wayne Wang (Dim Sum, Joy Luck Club) - not to forget the excellent acting of Harvey Keitel (who owns the store) and William Hurt (as a novelist). Stockard Channing leads a supporting cast of interesting and often eccentric locals. There is plot, but it is mainly an exploration of characters and their interactions, with well-crafted dialogue. Auster, Wang and Keitel and their producers were so pleased with Smoke that they decided to improvise something of a sequel, (Blue in the Face)centred on the shop and Keitel's character. It was filmed in a week with cameo roles from stars like Lily Tomlin, Michael J. Fox, Madonna and Roseanne. It is rougher and readier than Smoke but is an engaging post-script.

1. An enjoyable and entertaining film? A glimpse of life? The humane perspective on a range of characters, ordinary and eccentric? The chapters and the interweaving of stories? The finale and stories in word and image? Stories dramatising a particular Brooklyn culture?

2. The title and the references to smoke? Cigarettes and the selling of them, the smoking of the cigarettes? Cigarettes and cigars? Paul and his cigars? Augie and his deals with smuggling cigarettes - and Rasheed wetting them? The fact that smoke could not be weighed? Smoke and its disappearing? Things going up in smoke?

3. The Brooklyn setting, the street corner and its way of life, passing traffic, passing people, the characters hovering around the shop? The world of the shop? The apartments? The slum apartments? The contrast with the country roads and Peekskill? The atmosphere of the musical score?

4. The contributions of novelist Paul Auster (and the autobiographical touches in the character of Paul)? The direction of Wayne Wang? His American experiences? His Hong Kong background and the outsider's perception of the American way of life? The strength of the cast, especially Harvey Keitel as the centre of the film?

5. The portrait of Augie and his shop? Jim and Vince and company? Their working in the shop? The casual customers? The perennials and their hanging around? Their friendship with Augie, dependence on him? The gangsters and the smuggling, the cigarettes and the deals? The importance of talk in the shop? Ordinary interchanges? Significant conversations? Augie and his friendship with Paul? The discussion about Paul's wife and the death? The importance of the photos? His showing Paul the photos and asking him to look at them slowly? The many years of the same place and the albums of the photos? The significance and symbolism of the photos and the passing parade? His taking Rasheed in as a favour to Paul? His liking for Rasheed? The reaction to the ruining of the cigars and cigarettes? The importance of the restaurant encounter and Paul making Rasheed give Augie the $5000? His being touched? His ability to live and let live? The stories of his background? Ruby's arrival? His disbelief? The story of the child? The explanation of his background, military, the daughter? His going to see the daughter with Ruby? His reaction to the girl and her boyfriend, the ugliness of the drug scene? His generosity in giving the $5000 to Ruby? His concern about Paul and the bashing? Rasheed and his disappearance? His decision to go visiting with Paul? The revelation of the truth about Rasheed's father, Augie telling him the truth? The whole group relaxing around the picnic in the countryside? The importance of Paul and his need for the Christmas story? Harvey Keitel's skill in his verbal telling of the Christmas story in the restaurant? The final credits and the acting out of the story? Augie as your average good man? Strengths and weaknesses, humour with the power of observation?

6. William Hurt as Paul? Credible as the novelist and living in isolation? The impact of his wife's death and his grief? The reality of violence in the New York streets? At home in his own apartment, his books? Going to the store, his cigars, friendship with Augie? His writer's block? His absentmindedness and walking under the car? Rasheed saving him? Sharing the drink of lemonade with him? His offer to Rasheed? The sequences of his trying to write? Rasheed's arrival, his allowing him in? The room, Rasheed sleeping over, moving in? The tension and his inability to write? Rasheed's awkwardness, the breaking of the crockery? Ordering him out? His going to visit Rasheed's aunt and finding the true story? His return, confronting Rasheed? His being ousted? Getting the job for Rasheed with Augie? The ruining of the cigars and cigarettes? Finding the $5000 hidden? Rasheed's story? His persuading Rasheed to give the money to Augie? The importance of his being bashed in his own home, its impact in terms of his understanding of Rasheed and relationship to him? The decision to go to Peekskill, with Augie, finding Rasheed's father and the family, telling the truth, the initial clashes, sitting back relaxing as a group and yarning? His request of Augie for the Christmas story - and his profound gratitude for Augie's story?

7. Rasheed and the background of young black men in Brooklyn? His saving Paul from being run over? His edginess? His sharing the drink, deciding to stay? His accidents? The money and the gang after him? His work with Augie? Ruining the cigarettes? Hiding the $5000, Paul finding it? Going to the restaurant with Paul, the discussion with Augie and giving him the money? His story about his family and telling fictitious stories to Paul? His finding out where his father was? Going to watch him? His ability to draw, artistic talent? His talking to Paul, his clumsiness in the house and his being ousted? The return? His relationship with his aunt? His going to his father, the initial encounter, watching him, working, cleaning up the room, the painting? Paul and Augie and the arrival, his reluctance to tell the truth? Speaking honestly to his father, rediscovering the bonds?

8. Cyrus, the story of God and the crash? His abandoning his family, his grief about his wife? Disappearing? His work at the gas station, nobody coming in? Repairing the cars? Rasheed and his watching him? His puzzle, confrontation of Rasheed? Giving him the job, the interchanges, his family, the cleaning of the room, the painting? The discovery of the truth? Fighting? Eventually being very happy with his own family and the reconciliation with his son?

9. Ruby and Stockard Channing's style? Her appearance, the patch over her eye? Arrival in the shop, confrontation of Augie, her story, the doubts about who was the daughter's father? Her appeal to Augie? Augie's refusal to help? His decision to go with Ruby, the visit, the money, the abortion, his reaction to the squalor? Ruby and her gratitude at getting the $5000 from Augie?

10. Ruby's daughter, her relationship with her mother, leaving, her angers, age, drugs, the baby, her relationships, the abortion? Attacking her mother and Augie? What future?

11. The people around the shop, Vinnie, Jimmy, simple, doing their jobs, teaching people how to sweep, enjoying the talk?

12. The impact of Augie's Christmas story? The power of Harvey Keitel telling it? The memories, the old lady, the robbery, the pretence, the Christmas dinner? The impact of the verbal telling of the story? The effect of seeing it acted out without words during the final credits?

13. An offbeat American film? Different angles on American characters and the American way of life?