Review of Law and Disorder

For fans of 1970s New York movies Law and Disorder needs to be on your list. Carrol O'Connor plays Willie a NY cab driver who dreams of escape from his blue collar existence and there is plenty of Archie Bunker in his character... lots of fun, fun, fun. Ernest Borgnine plays one of the final great roles of his career as Cy the aging, horny, tough guy who runs a beauty parlor (believe it) in decline mainly due to his lust for Karen Black who plays a sexy tease stylist and almost steals the film. In this New York story, Willie & Cy get fed up with the crime and slime in their community and start their own auxillary police force and quickly start blurring the line between themselves and real cops. The film was shot on location in the gritty streets of 1970s New York City and it all looks great. The film also shows plenty of good character acting lead by Jack Kehoe who later was seen as a bail bonds man in Midnight Run. This could have been a 10 out 10 film as the scene where Ernest Borgnine literally leaps through the air to make love to his wife was so funny I spilled my bag of chips. But the ending takes an unexpected dark turn that is never explained or explored in detail. The ending is the one real flaw of an otherwise fine film. This means we have a light drama with plenty of laughs that ends on a dramatic note that leaves a bitter taste. Carrol O'Connor is good but both Ernest Borgnine and Karen Black are GREAT...you need to see this 1970s NYC Classic....8/10 stars. Reviewed by Tom Wilson 2/8/2014 USA New Jersey