Puzzled by Jeff Goldblum's character
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jeremy3 — 18 years ago(July 07, 2007 02:54 PM)
I don't think he was in with the Sheriff (or even knew him), unless he was a "spy" for the sheriff. I don't think the latter was the case, because Dennehey's character doesn't know the gambler when he first comes to town. I think that the gambler was trying to showoff in a delusional way. He wanted the girl, and was jealous of her brother. He also was arrogant, and thought he could take the brother out, and live to brag about it.
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thebuckleys-06 — 18 years ago(August 03, 2007 08:08 PM)
Actually, Slick came to town to "run an honest game" but how many honest gamblers carry a knife in their boot and a gun up their sleeve? Never mind the name "slick"!
Slick was looking out for himself. He was probably hoping to side with the winner once the dust settled and believed that the sheriff would win since he had the whole town in his pocket and so sought to help as quietly as he could. -
belacane — 18 years ago(August 11, 2007 03:04 PM)
It seems to me that Slick was a character slipped in so Mal would have someone specific to take down at the end. They could have eliminated all of the Slick story and not really had any holes in the story, though probably the whole Rae part would have had to be written out too.
"Hello, Melchett! Still worshipping God? Last I heard, he'd started worshipping ME!" -
jeremy3 — 18 years ago(September 28, 2007 08:55 AM)
I also see Slick as being deranged. He became infatuated with Rae Dawn Chong's character. In a delusion way, he was trying to show his love that he was a bigger man than his brother. Of course, he was no match.
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richardpaperboy — 18 years ago(February 09, 2008 07:56 PM)
Rae was played by Lynn Whitfield not Rae Dawn Chong. Slick worked in the saloon that was owned by the sheriff, he was watching the fight but didnt start fingering his knife until Paden got involved, it was Paden that ran the gambling end of the business, someone that Slick would want to help. When Paden went to the other side it was only natural that Slick would stay on the sheriffs side since he was the saloons owner. But slick was not a gunfighter so he tried to help out the only way he could, by finding Stella, who led him to Rae, knowing he could not take Mel in a fair fight he tried to trick him not knowing they were on to him.
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Bilwick1 — 16 years ago(May 21, 2009 10:41 AM)
"Actually, Slick came to town to 'run an honest game' but how many honest gamblers carry a knife in their boot and a gun up their sleeve?" IN the Old West, from what I can tell, quite a few. Especially since many towns had laws against carrying firearms, so hide-out weapons were not uncommon.
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glpatton — 18 years ago(February 10, 2008 05:10 AM)
As one of the posters said, he was an opportunist, and doing things for him. He wanted to sit in the bar and gamble and aligning himself with the sheriff would assure that. He kept himself just on the edge of what was going on to gain allies from both sides, assuming that Paden and company would be eliminated.
His setting up Mal by visiting Rae was deeper than he would normally go, hence his demise. -
kevinsmithf1master02 — 17 years ago(September 21, 2008 01:11 PM)
In reference to Jeff Goldblum, I had a hard time watching him. Not that any of his acting was bad, it's just I find he's too modern an actor (Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, etc) for being in a western, and maybe slightly too recognizable.
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sjl004 — 17 years ago(October 08, 2008 03:35 PM)
Hes' a gambler. Like others say, we chooses which side to be on. Like cards the next could be red or black, odd or even. He will go where he can be worth more.
Guarding the sister was a way of playing it safe. He could have done nothing.
When the brother came in he knew he couldn't leave with him otherwise the others would shoot both otherwise why would he be with him (they would think he would shoot the brother - unless "captured").
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