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Buffalo '66

Buffalo '66

Drama · Romance · Comedy · 1998

Billy is released after five years in prison. In the next moment, he kidnaps teenage student Layla and visits his parents with her, pretending she is his girlfriend and they will soon marry.

Movie details

Buffalo '66

“Billy Brown just got out of jail. Now he’s going to serve some real time. He’s going home.”

1998 Drama · Romance · Comedy 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

Billy is released after five years in prison. In the next moment, he kidnaps teenage student Layla and visits his parents with her, pretending she is his girlfriend and they will soon marry.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Buffalo '66?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Boxer

The Boxer

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Fire with Fire

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A tough, street-smart kid serving a sentence in a state youth reformatory meets a beautiful, innocent girl studying at a nearby convent. When forbidden love blossoms between them, they must fight the prison authorities, their parents and the law.

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Mrs. Soffel

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Kate Soffel is married to a prison warden in Pittsburgh, and is the mother of their four children. Ed Biddle is a convicted murderer awaiting execution on death row with his brother Jack. When Kate meets Eddie through her Bible readings to the prisoners, she is drawn to him, and they pursue a clandestine relationship. She agrees to help the brothers escape, and begins a treacherous journey with them to freedom in Canada.

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St. Elmo's Fire

St. Elmo's Fire

Drama · 1985

Reluctant to let go of college life, a close-knit team of seven friends--irresponsible saxophone player Billy, young Republican Alec, his girlfriend Leslie, struggling journalist Kevin, drama queen Jules, lovesick waiter Kirby, and Wendy, a social worker with a heart of gold--realise the party is over. And as the burdens of maturity close in on the young dreamers, the complexities of adulthood and the daily struggle of growing up put their sacred friendship to the test. But everyone knows life is not a bed of roses. It won't be easy, but when all is said and done, what will it take for St. Elmo's clique to find its place in the real world?

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Vincent Gallo

Written by

Vincent Gallo · Alison Bagnall

Vincent Gallo

Vincent Gallo

Billy Brown

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci

Layla

Ben Gazzara

Ben Gazzara

Jimmy Brown

Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston

Jan Brown

Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke

The Bookie

Rosanna Arquette

Rosanna Arquette

Wendy Balsam

Jan-Michael Vincent

Jan-Michael Vincent

Sonny

Court is in session

Put Buffalo '66 on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.