Absolutely Brilliant!

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

One of my favorite movies and is one of a kind. A no-nonsense artistically superb film that is a perfect blend of minimalist acting, camera work and soundtrack. The simple spartan dialogue gives the actors the screen space to communicate much more than words. They manage to deliver more realistic characters than the pretentious over-the-top acting we often encounter in our time. McQueen does an incredible job in shaping the personality of his character and discretely exposing his struggles to manage and insulate his two worlds: a rough job that he is good at and a bohemian private life. Eventually, his work drive breaks the insulating barrier... This element of invoking the audience's thoughts has faded from mainstream Hollywood films. It is a period movie that takes you back to that glorious (or not so glorious) SF era. The plot may appear simple at first but there seems to more under the surface and it may take several viewings to connect the dots.

RELEASED IN 1968 and directed by Peter Yates, "Bullitt" stars Steve McQueen as a resolute San Francisco detective who is determined to find the underworld kingpin who murdered the mobster-turned-witness under his protection. Robert Vaughn plays the slick, compromising politician while Simon Oakland appears as Bullitt's superior. Don Gordon is on hand as Bullitt's partner while Georg Stanford Brown plays a doctor. Robert Duvall has a small role.This was the obvious inspiration of the Dirty Harry franchise and other Eastwood cop flicks but, unlike those amped-up films, "Bullitt" is decidedly realistic, crackling with authenticity with its to-the-letter depictions of police, hospital and morgue procedures. The movie is decidedly low-key, respecting the intelligence of the viewer. Actually, it's SO realistic and mundane that it'll likely turn-off a lot of Dirty Harry fans. I suggest using the subtitles so you can keep track of who's who and what's going on.The movie draws you into its believable suspense with no less than three cat-and-mouse sequences. The first one is on foot at a hospital; the second is the iconic 7-minute car chase on the streets of San Francisco (which 1988's "The Dead Pool" paid homage to in a semi-spoof scene); and the third is another foot-chase at the airport, including the runways, which is the climax. Take note, by the way, of the green Volkswagon Beetle, which is repeatedly seen during the car chase."Bullitt" also works as a period piece of Big City, USA, 1967 (when the film was shot). It's interesting observing the designs and fashions. Jacqueline Bisset is, unfortunately, the only female and she's underused, although her character and Bullitt have a potent conversation at the beginning of the last act.THE FILM RUNS 114 minutes and was shot in San Francisco, California. THE SCRIPT was written by Alan Trustman & Harry Kleiner from the novel by Robert L. Fish.GRADE: B+

I have a bold prediction into the near future, it may not be a surprise to some, but I feel that in fifty years time, cars will no longer be dependent on petroleum resources, because it will all be wiped out. Instead we will all be riding in hybrids and the cars our ancestors have driven for centuries will be looked upon as an ancient relic. Movies like "Bullitt" will be viewed as film of wonderment like steam was for people who admired Jules Verne. Steve McQueen will have a legacy similar to Captain Nemo as he cruises down the avenues in his gas-guzzling Ford Mustang. If you haven't seen "Bullitt", now's your chance to marvel at the movie that became the spokesperson for the soon to be near-end of the muscle-cars. Even though the film is very iconic and dubbed as a classic, the plot is quite formulaic and not very original. McQueen stars as Detective Frank Bullitt from San Francisco was forced to protect a mobster Johnny Ross (Pat Renella), who is willing to testify against the organization. While under Bullitt's custody, Ross is shot by an esoteric assailant and was left for dead. While in a comatose disposition, Ross survives and when words caught on he lived through the ordeal, Bullitt uses Ross as a decoy to capture the mobsters hiding quarters. However, Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) a councilperson takes Ross' testimony as an opportunity to step ladder his way further into the political system, as he'll do anything possible to ruin Bullitt's reputation. From there, Bullitt is now in the precarious situation as he's interrogated by his superiors and is forced to answer the heavy questions about this whole investigation. Bullitt has the hefty workload as he's chasing the bad guys while fending off against the system. With the exception being McQueen's Bullitt, most of the characters don't stand out very well. Jacqueline Bisset as his girlfriend seems just padded on at the last minute and the caper story behind the thick of things is told very vaguely and very complex in detail. But film fans will not remember "Bullitt" for its story or its characters. And for the record, the story with the exception of some scenes, for the most part is not entirely engaging. But "Bullitt" has two reasons why this film stands out among viewers. The first being that McQueen defines the anti-hero in his performance and the second being the greatest car chase in cinematic history. Although it's not the greatest film he's starred in ("The Great Escape" takes that honour), "Bullitt" is the film that crowned McQueen as the King of Cool. From his bright blue eyes and his and his intense persona, this the guy that every man dreams he wants to be. When he was in his prime, he was untouchable and in "Bullitt", his charisma speaks louder than him. Granted this film has very little in terms of dialogue, but McQueen's expressions are flawless and succeeds in keeping it real. Plenty of actors tried to emulate the coolness that McQueen had to offer, but in the end, McQueen is still the King. The eternally famous nine minute heart-pulsing car chase scene has been inspired by other film that followed thereafter. The rapidly moving speed will make your heart palpitate as it goes through non-stop without any of the jarring quick cuts or shaky cams that today's action flicks seem to do which make them very annoying. Sadly, the chase scene is where the film's excitement stops. The rest of the film doesn't have the essential story structuring to carry through. Which is shame, because the foot-chase that ends the movie plus the high-impacted airport sequence still lacks may sound like something climactic, but in the end it comes up formulaic.Oil may be running its course, and GM is at an upgrade, the days of halcyon inclined cars will become a thing of the past but Bullitt's Ford Mustang will truly be a dinosaur in our industry. If ever the curious minded youngster in our future wants to gasp at how our muscle-cars work, than Bullitt's chase scene will likely quench your thirsty minds. It surely isn't the best thriller out there, but it is a landmark of the the 1960's due to its cool cars and McQueen's persona.

If you are tired of watching movies with lousy stories. If you have had it with narcissistic special effects that hurt your eyes. If you have had enough of those insane and unrealistic rooftop chases and city wrecking car pursuits. If you are done with gobbling up unnecessarily complicated plots. If you are sick of glamourised characters that have no substance. Then do watch this movie.It is an extremely smooth action thriller, with believable plot elements. The action scenes are superb. The acting is excellent. The background score is so very smooth that one eases into the atmosphere. Thee movie features one of the best car chase sequences I have seen. Shorn of any cacophonous and unrealistic nonsense , it is a perfectly credible depiction of what a car chase would be. Steve McQueen and co give great performances and except for a slightly stretched out climax the movie is crisp and gripping.I highly recommend it .