Have a cigarette

I just thought I’d draw attention to the cigarette girl. We first see Sidney interact with his secretary. She is trying to show some compassion for his problems, but he brushes her off in annoyance. So right off you realize that he must be a bit limited on compassion himself, but maybe he’s not a bad bloke—just tired and preoccupied. But then we get the cigarette girl. She seems to truly like Sidney and thinks they have something going on. He had no doubt been flirting with her to develop her as a source and she has taken it seriously. I think the scene that reveals Sidney’s true colors is the one in his apartment where she has been waiting eagerly for him in expectation that he can help with her problem. But for Sidney, her problem is nothing but a business opportunity, and he has no remorse in throwing her to the wolves, or wolf, as it were. From that point on, we see that Sidney isn’t just a guy on the make willing to cut a few moral corners. He’s bad to the bone.