Falling Down

Made from a script that was rejected by every major Hollywood studio, this is a storming portrait of urban alienation in America. Some stateside critics were quick to brand the film racist, as Michael Douglas's white-collar worker snaps one day, abandons his car in gridlock and engages in a violent spree that sees him destroy a Korean store and take on a Latino gang. But Douglas is no racist vigilante. In director Joel Schumacher's bold, believable and darkly funny film, he is a man consumed by rage at his own powerlessness, who reacts with violence to anyone who tries to prevent him from reaching "home" - now more of a concept than a place. The film loses momentum towards the end, but Douglas gives a superb performance and he's matched by the excellent Robert Duvall as an ageing, world-weary cop tackling his last case before retirement.