Born to Win (1971)
1971 · Feature film · 83 min · dir. Ivan Passer
Their story is written on his arm. If they can get a grip on each other, maybe they can turn their lives around.
- Comedy
- Crime
- Drama
Synopsis
J.J. (George Segal) is a former hairdresser turned heroin addict trying to satisfy his $100 per day habit and deal with the New York City drug culture. In order to get by, he turns narc and starts ratting on his friends.
Uploader's description on archive.org
Details
- Director
- Ivan Passer
- Writer
- Ivan Passer
- Composer
- William Fischer
- Cinematography
- Jack Priestley
- Studio
- Segal-Tokofsky Productions Inc., Edward Spector Productions Inc.
- Released
- 1971-12-01
- Running time
- 83 minutes
Cast & crew
Ivan Passer Director
George Segal
Karen Black
Paula Prentiss
Jay Fletcher
Héctor Elizondo
Robert De Niro- Ed Madsen
Marcia Jean Kurtz
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · Low down and dirty film with great acting · robmh · 2009-07-15
Can't believe this hasn't been reviewed yet. Who says heroin addicts can't be charming.
★★★★ · nice new york gangster/heroin addict film · ytcarl · 2023-11-22
With Al Pacino as a dirty undercover cop. A bit muddy, but perfectly gritty and atmospheric.
★ · Born to Win What? · The Spanman · 2022-06-13
Segal is a bore with his juvenile Yiddish humor. Karen Black had to really lower herself to co-star in this Jewish version of “panic in needle park.” Pacino is the standard this bomb is not even sub-standard. Any one who has ever had any experience with heroin addiction or addicts will realize that this film has completely lost touch with reality.
