Midnight Cowboy

**"I'm walking here! I'm walking here!" Shuffling, perhaps.** One can always count on Hoffman and his ability to absorb the character he is portraying with such ease. He has a knack at portraying that deep, bronchial coughing schtick. When watching, I had to wear a surgical mask - just in case. Voight, as usual, is magnificent as the innocent amongst the scum. Watching this wide eyed lone ranger slowly losing the tassels from his jacket is a deeply moving experience. A word of warning, you may want to use antibacterial wipes on your tv screen after watching Hoffman here. One cannot be too…

This is certainly my favourite role from Dustin Hoffman as he turns in an outstanding performance as "Ratso". He hooks up with the dapper, but out of his depth cowboy "Buck" who arrives in New York all set to be a hustler, but ends up paying his first client for the sex she's supposed to pay him for! Initially, "Ratso" fleeces this gullible guy too, but gradually the two start to depend on one and other - which is as well for "Ratso" who is clearly not long for this world. His persistent cough is being worsened by the squalid conditions in which he, and latterly, "Buck" have to live and by…

<em>'Midnight Cowboy'</em> is a beauty. It's one I've seen mentioned positively online many times down the years, especially on those four favourites videos that Letterboxd do with well known folk. Despite that I knew nothing coming in, which - as always - is the best way to view a flick. Dustin Hoffman's involvement was all that I did know heading into it, I wasn't even sure it was Jon Voight as the main guy until he started scowling his face - a distinctive look! I actually only know of him in film terms from 2003's <em>'Holes'</em>, he is memorable in that classic. In this, Voight is just…