Mikey and Nicky + Intro 15

“Elaine May crafted a gangster film like no other in the nocturnal odyssey Mikey and Nicky” – Criterion.

Holed up in a shoddy hotel room, small-time Philadelphia mobster Nick (Cassavetes) is the living embodiment of anxiety after finding out that a local mob wants him killed. Turning to the one person who can help him, Nick’s fate lies in the hands of his childhood best friend and fellow gangster, Mikey (Falks). Set over the course of one restless night, May skewers 1970s masculinity, offering a devastating dissection of male friendship in this dark, subversive classic. May brings her caustic wit to this gritty noir that was inspired by her experiences growing up in Chicago in a mob-connected family; the film’s characters are based on low-echelon gangsters she knew at the time. Bringing the protagonists Mickey and Nicky to life, the chemistry between Peter Falk and John Cassavetes crackles off the screen in this unmissable, 1970s gem.

Screening as part of our May in December season.

Elaine May’s trailblazing career as a director, screenwriter and stand-up remains criminally undervalued. She made up one half of Nichols and May, the wildly successful comedy duo she formed with Mike Nichols. May left at the height of their success. Bringing her comedic sensibilities to the screen, May became the third woman ever to be admitted to the Directors Guild of America.

She is known for her acerbic writing, dark screwball comedies and for a body of work that skewers masculinity, wealth, and narcissism. To mark 50 years since the release of her gritty noir Mikey and Nicky, we present three of Elaine May’s films on the big screen across three mondays in December.