A New York story born out of the acclaimed Actors Studio, Chinese Coffee is a tragic, at times comedic drama that focuses on the themes of trust, betrayal and compromise found in friendships.

Set in Greenwich Village, New York, 1982, the film begins with Harry Levine (Al Pacino) fired from his job as the doorman at a French restaurant. Depressed and angry he decides to visit his friend Jake (Jerry Orbach) in the wee hours of the morning where they immediately bicker over money owed to Harry, the argument escalating when Jake criticises Harry’s new novel. As the hours pass their true feelings about each other come to the foreground as they dissect their work, love lives and dreams in brutal fashion.

Since it is based on the play by Ira Lewis (who also wrote the screenplay), it is to no surprise that the films biggest strength lies within its rapid fire dialogue shared between the two (very well written) lead characters, who both contain striking yet often irritating character traits.     

Neither character has enough money to be yuppies, and both are way too cynical to be hippies. They are bohemians, beatniks, ageing, starving artists of a by gone era who are both drowning in the corporate rat race of the 1980’s.

Veteran actors Al Pacino and Jerry Orbach are great in these roles, especially Pacino who gives a powerful and (occasionally) funny performance.

As a director Pacino does a deft job adapting Lewis’ play from the stage to the screen, establishing a great sense of mood, especially in regards to the friction between Harry and Jake. With the use of flashbacks we look back and see what exactly these men are talking about when they analyse one another’s lives, and while it may be a clichéd movie tool, in this particular film it works well, since while the idea of two men talking in a small apartment may work on stage, on film it does not.

At times it is depressing watching two characters well in their 40’s argue like teenagers. One would imagine that by this time in their lives that they would have a grip of what life is and how to deal with it, but when you try to side step the responsibilities of adulthood sooner or later it will come back to kick you when you’re down.    

Chinese Coffee is a very good film if not a bit dispiriting every now and then. Both Pacino and Orbach are wonderful to watch and the screenplay is first-rate.