Atlantic City

Louis Malle, 1980 (8.8*)
My favorite film from French director Louis Malle, this one is a crime story in English. Burt Lancaster turns in one of his best performances as a flunkie to an aging actress retired in Atlantic City. His passions are flamed by neighbor Susan Sarandon, a casino worker with little more than dreams to keep her going, and who bathes her bare breasts with lemons in front of the window.

Suddenly their lives are turned upside down by an ex of Sarandon's, who shows up after pulling a drug heist. This is a gritty, realistic look at romance on the seedier side, with people barely surviving on the borderlines, yet who have the same universal dreams as anyone else. Nominated for five academy awards.

Quote: You should've seen the Atlantic back then - it was really something. (Burt Lancaster)