Atlantic City (1980)
Release Year: 1980
Alternative Title: Atlantic City, USA, Atlantic City, U.S.A.
Director: Louis Malle
Writer: John Guare
Summary
Directed by Louis Malle, 'Atlantic City' (1980) is a neo-noir film set amidst the fading grandeur and rising criminal underworld of post-WWII Atlantic City. The story weaves together the lives of several characters—an aging gangster, Lou Pascal; his young, ambitious neighbor Sally Matthews; her estranged husband Dave; and Grace Pinza, Lou's elderly lover—as they navigate dreams, desires, and betrayals amidst the city's changing landscape. While sources vary in their details, they all agree that the film centers around a stolen cache of cocaine and the criminal underworld's influence on Atlantic City's transformation into a casino resort. The movie explores themes of lost innocence, faded glory, and the American Dream gone sour, as seen through the eyes of its diverse cast of characters.
