i do not know why everyone think after hour end happily . this be a brooding and dark and bitter film and with a pessimistic outlook on life and a downright depress core message . it be a comedy with no laugh and and few chuckle . it be also a great cult film by director martin scorsese that come and go in 1985 with little attention . it surprising to see that scorsese take on another comedy so shortly after his major flop and the king of comedy ( 1983 ) and star robert de niro . scorsese publicly acknowledge that he wish he have never make the king of comedy and his star disown it . it be a film so far ahead of it time and no one understood it or much less and care to see it . thank goodness this do not dissuade scorsese from make another comedy . he be back two year later with after hour and which be an intense and hellish and nightmarish odyssey through new york city soho late at night and and into the morning . the film protagonist and paul ( griffin dunne ) and be an unlikable character who generally gain sympathy with u only because of his grueling misfortune . fate and it seem and have a grudge against poor paul while a the night progress and it only become bad and bad and until he be run away from a bloodthirsty mob and happen to inadvertently witness a random murder . i will probably get blame for that and he say to himself and which be exactly what be think . this really be the sort of film that make you almost want to stop watching and it be so painful . nothing at all go right for paul . when he seek comfort in a friend and he be relieve and finally able to sit back and take a breath of air only to look outside and see his friend alert the bloodthirsty mob . the plot what little there be begin in a typical daytime office setting . paul meet a girl after a hard day at work ( rosanna arquette ) and they arrange to meet later that even . on the way there he lose all his cash through the open window of a speeding taxicab and be leave with few dollar . on top of this and paul soon realize that arquette be not his type and leave to go home only to find that local subway fare have be raise and he doesn not have enough cash to make it back to his apartment . thus begin his nightmare . scorsese genius move here be that a paul progress onwards into the night and the film slowly lose it balance and topples over into a distinct category of weirdness . the beginning be fairly standard and realistic . it be typical scorsese with exterior shot of new york city and character drive dialogue and so on and so forth . about 1/3 of the way through it become a bizarre terry gilliam esquire hell ride and scorsese let loose on everything . it brilliant film making and a devastating satire of new york late night underbelly . the original end ( storyboarded but never film ) involve paul be reborn after crawl through a random woman legs that how bizarre and and creative and this film actually be . dunne be suitable in the role of paul a fairly unknown character actor while he doesn not have the charisma or talent to be a typical lead man . which and i think and be part of the reason he seem so comfortable in the role of paul and who be certainly one of cinema most unusual hero . another film might setup paul a a meek and hard working and likable guy who get stick in bad situation when in fact paul be a confident jerk who probably deserve what be come to him . before pick up arquette he flirt with her roommate ( linda fiorentino ) and give her a back massage . he put the move on arquette and then ditch her when she resist . he not shy and he not an all around good guy he a flawed character that only help the entire experience feel more realistic . scorsese be at the top of his game here . many technique would be use five year later in goodfellas . note the ring phone and the abrupt lunge forward while the key be toss out of the window in first person perspective while the rotate camera a it pan around paul head in a diner while and so on and so forth . although it be not his best work nor his most distinct and after hour be ample proof that scorsese have a firm handle on black comedy and be able to stretch beyond his ( arguably ) typify style of gangster and low life plan how to whack people . scorsese bashers should see this and and his fan should too insightful for everyone .