Introduction"After Hours" is an American black funny film launched in 1985, directed by Martin Scorsese and composed by Joseph Minion. The film stars Griffin Dunne as Paul Hackett, a word processing program who experiences a series of misadventures in New York City's SoHo neighborhood during one fateful night.
PlotThe story begins with Paul Hackett sitting alone in a café, where he engages in a conversation with Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). Taken by her eccentricity and attraction, he acquires her number and later at night, decides to satisfy her at her SoHo home. However, things deviate for the worse when he arrives.
Paul's night cascades into an absurdist headache as he tries to make his way home. His money is lost in a taxi trip, and a subway fare trek leaves him stranded in SoHo. Marcy's roomie (Linda Fiorentino) ends up being a sculptor consumed with producing plaster-of-Paris paperweights looking like bagels, which ends up being a repeating concept in the movie.
Marcy's aloofness, unprompted personal discoveries, and unexpected mood swings unsettle Paul. It gets back at more unusual when she all of a sudden passes away due to an overdose, causing Paul to run away in panic.
Series of MisfortunesUnable to go back home, Paul is tossed into a series of chaotic encounters. He stumbles upon a string of wacky characters-- a restaurant waitress, a drifting ice cream truck chauffeur, an aggressive mob, and the carver with a penchant for papier-mâché. Not only does he become a prime suspect when a string of break-ins hits the area, but he is likewise chased after by a vigilante mob.
Desperate Attempts to Return HomePaul's desperate attempts to return house result in significantly disastrous results. He's taken in by a lonesome bartender named Julie, portrayed by Teri Garr, who becomes unhealthily obsessed with him. He leaves her home, just to find himself unintentionally causing havoc at a local punk club, leading to another chase by an angry mob who incorrectly believe him to be the intruder terrorizing the area.
ResolutionThe climax of "After Hours" sees Paul unintentionally enclosed in plaster by the carver from earlier, fashioned into among her 'human statues'. The real burglar, played by Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, then steals him, believing him to be another one of the sculptures. The early morning mayhem emerges in the streets, and Paul is unintentionally dropped outside his office. As he emerges from the plaster, he calmly walks into his office complex, hence concluding his surreal and exhausting odyssey.
Conclusion"After Hours" is a wild, darkly comedic flight through nighttime New York of the 1980s. With its Kafkaesque narrative complete with unpredictable plot twists, the film paints a surreal, frantic photo of metropolitan life. It's an awesome masterpiece of black funny, highlighting Scorsese's storytelling prowess and ability to deftly mix humor and stress and anxiety.
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