The Conversation (1974)

Cast: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Harrison Ford, Frederic Forest, Cindy Williams, Teri Garr
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

The next movie that I felt like it should be good movie after seeing who's in it and who's behind it is The Conversation. I've only see a handful of films with Gene Hackman and I've yet to be disappointed with him and as for John Cazale, in his short career, is my last movie with him. Before Star Wars, Harrison Ford was in this and American Graffiti (also directed by George Lucas of Star Wars) which I'm hoping to see sometime soon. I'll always remember Teri Garr for her role as Inga from Young Frankenstein. In between The Godfather movies, Francis Ford Coppola had time to film The Conversation as he already had finished Part 1 of The Godfather in 1972 and wrapping up Part 2 in 1974.

The Conversation follows a man in his 40's named Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) who is a quiet man with great ears and his occupation is surveillance expert but he works privately and does his own invention. He was hired by the director (Robert Duvall) to follow two people and record the conversation (ah!) between the two and one of them is the wife of the Director. Caul was to piece together the recorded conversation and turn it over to the Director personally. Earlier in his life, his job cost the lives of two people and since he's a religious man, he feared that the one he's on now will add more so he went to the church to confess his sins. He was also disturbed by this and he doesn't know what the Director is going to do once he listen in on the tape so he went out and does some more surveillance.

The Conversation is a cerebral type of film, the one where you have to sit and watch closely. I tried to focus on it but.. the ending just went out of place for me. This will require another maybe two more playings but the suspense was definitely there. I liked the ending as well... that's paranoia for you.

Score: 8/10