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Good story, Not enough for a whole film

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I was keen to watch this film because (on paper) this film appeared to "tick all the boxes" of what I'd be interested in watching, but hadn't already come across before (this is 2017).When I refer to "ticking boxes" I mean things like the fact that the film is set in a 1970's in a gritty, urban, criminal, landscape; the sort of thing that should lead to a good film, based on others of the time.However, I found the story line to be weak; the film lacks any real edge and ultimately, I found watching the film a dull and dissatisfying experience.Some films gain "cult" status, but I see no "esoteric" qualities to this film that may raise it above it's apparent superficial, mediocrity. Perhaps I am missing something but, there are honestly, very few films I have seen, that I have been less enthused by.

"The Killing is an innovative thriller trapped inside a bloated self-indulgent work of improvisational theater." I don't have much to add to this comment except to say that there is actually a pretty good story in here. It's well developed and escalates nicely. The protagonist, well played by Ben Gazarra, is truly an interesting (if not very likable) character.Unfortunately, the character and story are weighed down by interminable scenes from the tawdry shows-within-a-show that the main character produces in his strip club. These shows are just bizarre and amateurish. A few glimpses of them would have given us all we need to know about Cosmo Vitelli and his world, but instead we're subjected to these scenes over and over, in stultifying detail. It's just. . . boring.Another reviewer here has complained that Vitelli is wounded in a way that should be fatal, and yet he finishes out the movie as if he doesn't have a care in the world. That reviewer is right. It's just ridiculous and unbelievable.And then there's the complaint that killing the Chinese Bookie of the title--getting past the dogs and the guards--is way too easy for Vitelli. Also a legitimate knock against the movie.No one has mentioned that there's also some pretty bad cinematography on display here--scenes in which the camera follows so poorly during closeups that actors' eyes drift out of the frame.There's an interesting movie in here, but it's so amateurish and self-indulgent in places that that movie is suffocated.

A proud strip club owner (Ben Gazzara) is forced to come to terms with himself as a man, when his gambling addiction gets him in hot water with the mob, who offer him only one alternative.Gazzara has made a career of playing seedy characters. Although he regularly worked with Cassavetes, younger audiences might know him best from "Roadhouse" or "The Big Lebowski". They would not be disappointed by his portrayal here. Cassavetes regulars Al Ruban and Seymour Cassel also appear, though Gena Rowlands is noticeably absent.Cassavetes' best work is widely regarded to be either "Faces" or "A Woman Under the Influence", but a case could be made for this one, as well. His earlier work relied heavily on improvisation, and some might argue they suffered from too much "small talk" adding minutes to the running time. Here the plot is much more linear, much tighter to a script. As Larry Karaszewski has noted, it is much more "high concept" than his earlier work.Phillip Lopate wrote, "The plot's biggest gamble is to make Cosmo, this likable if screwed-up schnook, actually go through with the killing. Is it plausible that someone so seemingly decent would do such a thing?" But, of course, this is the whole point... when you must choose between killing for the mob or being killed by the mob, your actions may no longer be decided by whether you are a "decent" person.The 1978 re-cut of the film is even tighter, removing much of the unnecessary night club footage, which is unusual (considering most director's cuts are longer than the theatrical releases). In some ways, it is a different film, and making comparisons between the two is a review in itself.

When Los Angeles strip club owner Ben Gazzara (as Cosmo Vittelli) can't pay a $23,000 gambling debt, mobsters order him to carry out "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie". At first, this seems like a grossly deficient plot, because Seymour Cassel (as Mort Weil) and his cronies have more than enough muscle to carry out the task. However, when you see how the deed is done, you'll understand why Mr. Gazzara is chosen. Like the viewer, he is in the dark. This film includes some extraneous material, and the there are several instances when an edit is seemingly missed. This is how you know director John Cassavetes is there, behind the curtain, slowly revealing his protagonist's naked psyche; it's a strip tease.******** The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (2/15/76) John Cassavetes ~ Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips