Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Theresa is a successful teacher of deaf children during the day but after a short unhappy affair starts to spend her nights cruising bars. Her craving first for sex but later also for drugs leads into increasingly demeaning and dangerous situations at odds with her daytime commitment to her children.
Matthias_812 reviewedApril 2, 2025
The 70's is without a doubt the golden age for American cinema, marked by an era of innovation, risk-taking, and a willingness to confront societal taboos. This period gave rise to the auteur-driven movement, where directors had unprecedented creative freedom. Looking for Mr. Goodbar is another that furthermore proves the decade.
The film critiques the excesses of hedonism while also exposing the hypocrisy of traditional values. However, it does not take a clear moral stance, leaving you to wrestle with its ambiguous messaging. The tragic ending, a signature of 70's realism, avoids any resolution or redemption, staying true to the decade's penchant for challenging expectations.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar critiques the alienation wrought by urbanization. The bustling anonymity of city life is both liberating and isolating. It is a film that captures the complexities of its time, offering a window into an era when filmmakers sought to push boundaries and reflect the messy realities of human existence.