Pam Grier is a towering presence in this early action film about a working-class lady who seeks revenge on the drug pushers who made her baby sister an addict at age 9. Grier's Coffy has the hots for an up-and-coming politician, but a young cop has also caught her eye. Coffy stays focused, though, and concentrates on knocking off pimps and drug lords one at a time. Well, until she's captured by the guy who played the camp psychiatrist Sidney in M*A*S*H (Alan Arbus) and his henchman, played by the great Sid Haig. Then it all gets very real very fast. This is definitely the movie that put Grier on the map and the one that so impressed a young Quentin Tarantino that he cast her as the lead in his own classic, Jackie Brown, more than 20 years later. Coffy burns the candle at both ends, as she's a night nurse by trade and pretends to be a drug-addled hooker in order to infiltrate the pimp's lair and get her revenge. Now, be warned, those of you who are under a certain age probably shouldn't watch this - get your parents' permission! - thanks not to the violence but the very prevalent nudity. Pam Grier herself gets pretty naked. So there's a warning to you parents, too. Or a selling point. I don't know you. Grier, clothed or not, turns in an exceptionally impressive performance, alternating from vulnerable to powerful in a heartbeat. There's plenty of action, too. Stick it to The Man and watch this one!
Review of Coffy
