a_chinn One of my favorite crime films is an engrossing gritty depiction of the life of an ex-con (not that I'm a real expert on the subject, but it seemed realistic to me). The film opens with Dustin Hoffman playing a greasy haired lowlife just released from prison, having to check in with his sleazy parole office, the great M. Emmet Walsh, looking for a job, but having trouble since he has a record, though he does con his way into the life of a pretty girl, the under appreciated Theresa Russell. Hoffman tries to go straight for a bit, but he doesn't try all that that hard before he slips back into a life of crime, pulling jobs with his equally scuzzy friend Harry Dean Stanton. What's most striking and memorable about "Straight Time" is how realistic the film feels. Sure lots of film have presented unglamorous depictions of a life of crime, but "Straight Time" does more than that. The script was based on a novel from real-life career criminal Edward Bunker, who later became a respected Hollywood script doctor and screenwriter. Besides Bunker, the script was also worked on by Jeffrey Boam ("The Dead Zone" "Innerspace" "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"), Alvin Sargent ("Ordinary People," "Paper Moon," and even the recent Spider-Man films), and uncredited work by Michael Mann ("Miami Vice," "Heat," "Collateral"). The script is filled with wonderful small moments that you rarely see in crime films prior to this, such as Hoffman telling a junkie friend that his shooting up in front of him could put him away, or Hoffman casing a jewelry store with his unwitting girlfriend as cover, or a burglary scene where Hoffman bypasses a pawn shop's alarm by breaking into the store next door and busting a hole in the wall to steal pawn shop guns. The films filled with these sorts of moments that give it an authenticity that's missing from most standard of crime films. Another huge asset of the film is it's cast. Besides the above mentioned Hoffman, Russell, Walsh, and Stanton, you also have strong a strong performance by Gary Busey as Hoffman's junkie friend and most surprising of all is a young Kathy Bates playing Busey's wife, who's trying to raise a family and also trying to keep her husband on the straight and narrow, away from the criminal influence she knows Hoffman brings. Bates only has a few scenes, but leaves a strong impression on the audience as likely the most identifiable "normal" character in the film. Her most memorable scene is when Hoffman visits her and Busey and their family, when at one point she has Hoffman alone in their kitchen and tries to very nicely tell him to not come around anymore. Writer Edward Bunker also shows up in one scene as a sleazy low life character. Directed by Ulu Grosbard, the film has a wonderfully gritty feel for this lurid story of low level street criminals. While most crime films of this era focused on "professional" criminals, films such as "Prime Cut," "Charley Varrick," "The Outfit," or even "The French Connection" (which are all great films), "Straight Time" presented a unique window in the life of real criminals. Watching this film now in 2018, there's also a retro charm to the film, from Hoffman's huge sideburns, to Russell's awesome 70s outfits, to the cars, to the quaint lack of technology, which now all seems super cool, even if it was probably quite the opposite at the time of the film's original release. It's also pretty clear that "Straight Time" was an influence on "Reservoir Dogs," particularly the jewelry store robbery that's never shown in Dogs, but is shown in this film; not to mention Bunker having a small role in "Reservoir Dogs" as Mr. Blue. With music by David Shire and cinematography by Owen Roizman ("Tootsie," "The Exorcist," "The French Connection"), "Straight Time" is an American Film classic of the first order that deserves more recognition than it's been given.

PimpinAinttEasy A lot to appreciate here. The film is a great character study of a man (Dustin Hoffman) who has been in and out of jail since he was 12. Now he is out on parole and wants to live a decent life but he locks horns with an inefficient and sadistic parole officer which puts him back on the path of crime.The film boasts of some really tense heist scenes. And some realistic car chases. A lot of scenes are shot around fast food joints, cafes and bars.Theresa Russell is easy on the eyes as the jailbird's square girlfriend. Gary Buesy, Harry Dean Stanton and M.Emmet Walsh form the stellar supporting cast. A young and attractive Kathy Bates plays Busey's wife. Hoffman plays the tough hero in his own unique way.I love the sentimental score by David Shire.I read in the trivia section that Michael Mann worked on the script. I wonder whether the book inspired Thief. I have read the novel by Edward Bunker - No Beast So Fierce on which this film is based. It was also quite good.I have a soft corner for films like Straight Time and Sherry Baby where the protagonist is out of jail and trying to fit back into society.(8/10)

Theo Robertson This is one of these films that's been shown on British network television a couple of times in the 1980s then has totally disappeared never to be seen again . A pity because I did remember enjoying it in my youth so when I had the opportunity of watching it again I took it with both hands I can understand why I did enjoy because some scenes really stuck out such as a scene where anti-hero Max Dembo is driven to a halfway house by his parole officer "HEY FATSO" and the scenes of the robberies taking place are genuinely tense and hair raising . These are unfortunately surrounded by lots of long scenes where nothing much happens This shouldn't be taken as a massive criticism because STRAIGHT TIME is very much a product of New Hollywood which was heavily influenced by the French New Wave and the long fairly empty and realistic scenes are in keeping with cinema verite . Everything here seems natural and naturalistic , everything from the performances to the background noiseReading some of the comments on this page it's interesting that some people have mentioned that Edward Bunker's source novel makes Dembo out to be a "victim of the system" where as in the film version he's not really any type of victim and more of an author of his own problems . One would think in the more touchy feely hypocrisy of the 21st Century armed robbery is the fault of everyone except the armed robber themselves . Again this is in keeping with with the ethos of New Hollywood when American film making was at a peak . Dembo isn't the most unlikable criminal anti-hero to appear in a 1970s Hollywood and it's difficult to dislike anyone played by Dustin HoffmanAs it stands this is one of Hoffman's more forgotten films which is ironic because it'll stay in the memory . That said it's mainly down to the fact some scenes are absolutely outstanding "HEY FATSO" while the film as a whole is merely just good

Claudio Carvalho After many juvenile detentions and six years in prison, the small time thief and burglar Max Dembo (Dustin Hoffman) is released on parole. Max has an initial friction with his nasty parole officer Earl Frank (M. Emmet Walsh), but the officer agrees to let him live in a hotel room if he gets a job within a week. Max goes to an employment agency and the attendant Jenny Mercer (Theresa Russell) helps him to get a job in a can industry. Max is decided to begin a new life straight and visits his old pal Willy Darin (Gary Busey) and his family. When Willy brings Max home, he injects heroin and leaves his spoon under Max's bed. Max dates Jenny and on the next day after hours, he finds Frank waiting for him snooping around his room. Frank finds the spoon and sends Max to prison for tests to prove whether he had a fix or not. Despite the negative result, Frank leaves Max for a week imprisoned. When Max is released again, Franks gives a ride and presses him to tell who had a fix in his room. Max hits Frank, steals his car and seeks out his former friends to restart his life of crime. Jenny lodges Max at her place and has a love affair with him. Max and his best friend Jerry Schue (Harry Dean Stanton) successfully rob a bank; but after a jewelry heist in Beverly Hills, where Max loses Jerry and Willy, he leaves California and Jenny and heads alone elsewhere."Straight Time" is a small gangster film that shows how impossible is to a smalltime thief to regenerate and begin a straight life in insensitive the American correctional system with abusive parole officers and no assistance to the ex-cons. Dustin Hoffman performs a criminal that is trapped in the underworld, supported by an excellent cast of veterans and promising stars. The twenty-one year-old Theresa Russell in her second movie is incredibly beautiful. I have always been a fan of this talented but underrated actress that has an adorable voice and today I have recalled how gorgeous she was in the beginning of her career. M. Emmet Walsh performs his usual role of a despicable police officer. Gary Busey (with his son Jake), Kathy Bates and Harry Dean Stanton complete the great cast of this quite unknown film that has been just released on DVD in Brazil. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Liberdade Condicional" ("Parole")