Smoke is part of a legion of low budget indie films that graced American cinemas in the early 90s. Along with such other films as Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Slacker, Reservoir Dogs, and Clerks, Smoke helped define a new generation of American film-makers and cinema. Smoke is about a group of very different people who all congregate at a small Brooklyn cigar shop. It branches off in a nonlinear fashion to examine each of these characters in greater depth. There's Paul Benjamin, a down-on-his-luck writer struggling to get over the death of his wife. His life is saved by Rashid, a young black runaway on the hunt for his biological father. Rashid has in his possession several thousand dollars that he stole from a group of robbers. This is used to pay back damages accidentally done to Augustus 'Auggie' Wren, the owner of the cigar shop, and his store when he is given a job there. Auggie is a solitary guy who one day is approached by his ex-wife whom he hasn't seen in almost 20 years. She tells him that he has a daughter and that she is a crack whore living on the street. They try to save her, but ultimately fail. Auggie gives the money he got from Rashid to his ex-wife so she can start her life over again. And so it goes, and so it goes. This film's true strength is in its wonderful screenplay by Paul Auster, who co-directed the film. I have some minor problems with some of the acting, but overall Smoke is a wonderful film about fascinating, lonely people.
7/10
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