Paula Nelson (Anna Karina), a female version of Humphrey Bogart's hard boiled detectives, goes to Atlantic City to meet her lover, Richard Politzer, at an unknown point in the future (maybe 1969). Once there, she learns that Richard is dead and decides to investigate his death. In her hotel room, she meets Typhus, whom she ends up knocking out. His corpse is later found in the apartment of David Goodis (Yves Afonso), a writer. Paula is arrested and interrogated. From then on, she encounters many gangsters.
In terms of Godard's body of work, the 1966 film is as challenging as it is important.
– Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan 2009
fresh:
If Made in U.S.A doesn't merit a place, with Weekend and Band of Outsiders, on the Godard's Greatest Hits compilation, it is still a great lost B side.
– A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
9 Jan 2009
fresh:
It's still essential for those interested in watching the filmmaker take cinema to new levels of allusion and modernist game playing.
– David Fear,
Time Out New York,
7 Jan 2009
fresh:
Jean-Luc Godard's Made in U.S.A. is not the celluloid holy grail, but it's close enough.