Film review – Forgotten gems 

 

Sea of Love.

(Cert 18)

Genre: Crime Thriller.

Starring: Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman.

Release: 1989.

Time: 108 mins.

 

My rating: 4 Stars

A far cry from his raging performances in the gangster films, Godfather and Scarface, Al Pacino delivers an equally superb display in crime thriller, Sea of Love.

Despite receiving critical acclaim from film hacks, alongside, Ellen Barkin (The Big Easy) and John Goodman (The Runner, Bee Movie), the New York born actor replicates his exquisitely efficient Academy Award winning portrayal of a retired army colonel in Scent of A Woman in 1992, with his role as a veteran police detective here.

Whether it be as Michael Corleone in The Godfather or Tony Montana in Scarface, Pacino has a knack of producing when it matters.

Whilst the Devil’s Advocate reminded audiences of his capabilities to intertwine pure evil with a loveable rogue charm, Sea of Love returned Pacino back to glory in 1989 after what had been a stuttering career patch beforehand.

But it is not just Pacino’s deliverance of New York Police detective, Frank Keller, as a workaholic, intense cop living on the edge, but the plot and supporting cast help develop this encapsulating hit from director, Harold Becker.

Barkin’s ability to allure Keller with her beautifully enticing temptress-like charms, result in highly charged sex scenes and some feisty character interaction between the pair, whilst Goodman’s performance as Pacino’s detective mate, Sherman Touhey, allows for silky banter and portrayal of the quintessentially typical burger-munching, down to earth, straight talking American.

As for the plot, romance, crime and an air of bizarre formulate this film.

Keller and Touhey are on an epic hunt to track down a strange serial killer who kills their victims whilst forcing them to perform sexual acts. The investigation prompts the two cops to go undercover to help unravel the mystery, which involves Keller advertising in a lonely hearts section to attract the killer (who preys upon his victims through this method) to him.

After some unsuccessful wooing attempts of potential candidates, Keller eventually stumbles upon Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) and the two engage in a passionate relationship filled with lustful romance and a desire to persist in the risky affair.

Initially in the affair Keller hides his real identity as a cop from Cruger and when she inadvertently discovers his identity, smooth-talking from Keller helps keep the two together.

However, all the time Keller is intent on finding the truth about whether Cruger’s character is the serial killer causing outrageous destruction in New York and is horrified when despite becoming increasingly emotionally attached to Cruger, that overwhelming evidence links her to the killings.

Upon confronting her, the two initiate in verbal and physical warfare, only for Keller to realise that Cruger’s boyfriend has been behind the killings all along. The two duel in Cruger’s flat, with Keller the victor against Cruger’s murderous man, whilst Keller and Cruger finally consolidate their love and embark upon a relationship.

Although some may say the problem with this film was that it followed a typical formula of crime, romance and comedic one-liners from Pacino, its comparisons to a cheesy romantic comedy by Richard Curtis would be harsh. What the film lacks in consistent crime-fighting action, it responds with in the plot’s suspense and the dangerous liaisons between its two main characters.

As mentioned earlier, Sea of Love is credited for reviving Pacino’s acting career in the late 1980s after what had been a squalid decade. But it also enforces the truly mysterious human nature, not only to entice their victims in crazed murderous acts, but by developing a relationship which is active, passionate and feisty.

Morally, the dilemmas resound for Pacino’s Keller as he has to decide upon continuation of investigating the murder despite his lover’s involvement.

Though, perhaps the dilemma in this film not quite reaching the heights anticipated is through its tempo changes between detective work and romance.

But if you are after Godfather type scheming and moral pressures intertwined with Scent Of A Woman’s heartfelt passion, then this could be the film for you.