Interesting to see Robert Redford doing something different, and doing it well. Not the usual type of character he plays in most of his movies (himself), showing us that he could be more multidimensional, and play against type, when he set his mind to it. He seems to spend most of the movie with his shirt off, his golden looks never better displayed than they are here. Which is perfect for the part of Halsey Knox, a hollow man who is living on his looks (plus some half-fulfilled talent as a motorcycle rider). Perhaps that is why Redford took the part; - to poke fun those people who viewed him as just another pretty face?
Halsey is a man who always takes the easy way out, coasting through life on minimum effort. He has a sense of entitlement, feeling that success is rightly due to him based on his looks and talent alone and frustrated that he hasn't received all he feels he deserves. He finds it easy to attract women, but later despises them for falling for his patter, and also despises himself, for not being able to resist indulging in this behaviour. However most of the time he is in denial. He is a fast rider but lazy, failing to achieve his potential due to sloppy maintenance of his bike. He takes advantage of the goodwill his good looks bring him; - people want to be around him and so they often accept his lies and put up with his petty theft, even when they see through him. He has been doing it so long he half believes it himself.
In my opinion, Michael J Pollard was miscast as Little Fauss. He is fine as a lonely outsider-nerd in the first two thirds of the movie, mechanically talented but lacking in social skills, worshipping the false idol that is Halsey, and then slowly recognising the emptiness behind the façade, but his weird "Hobbit-esque" looks do not translate well into the character that Little Fauss becomes. No matter how often he won races, Michael J Pollard would not have the looks to pull attractive but shallow women on a casual basis (or alternatively display the type of larger than life personality required make up the difference). The women in this movie are interested in Redford for his shiny surfaces and Pollard has none of that.
Speaking of womankind, they don't come off well in this movie at all; they are all promiscuous and easily manipulated, and just as shallow as the men are. Either dull witted trailer trash or scatter brained hippies. Trophies of a lifestyle, who always become inconvenient after a while.
In the end Little Fauss rides off toward victory, on the racing track at least, leaving Halsey Knox having a tantrum in the dust, having been let down by his poorly maintained bike yet again.
I guess the main lesson is that good looks and talent aren't enough, that hard work is also needed to succeed in life? (Except with women, that only requires good looks)
Review of Little Fauss and Big Halsy
