SEA OF LOVE
A film review by Craig Good
Copyright 1989 Craig Good
SEA OF LOVE is a thriller that never seems to get into overdrive in spite of fine performances by the principals. It's not a bad film; indeed so much about it is good that it pales mainly in comparison with the film it could have been.
Al Pacino stars as a twenty-year veteran detective investigating a series of execution-style murders. John Goodman joins him in a two-man task force when the murders spread to his precinct. Ellen Barkin plays of woman Pacino meets and falls in love with during the course of his investigation. All three actors are proven, reliable performers with lots of presence, and they deliver.
I had some trouble buying Barkin's attraction to Pacino's character because he spends most of the movie in various states of drunkenness. But Barkin's dangerous good looks are used to great advantage in this film, and she does at least convince me that she falls deep in lust. Whatever the quality of the chemistry, there was a lot of it, even if it was in an alcohol solution. Goodman delivers his usual engaging and natural performance in his supporting role.
There are enjoyable aspects to the editing as we are spared some of the obligatory scenes one comes to expect in this genre. The way the film jumps forward in time at just the right moments is refreshing. The comic relief is well-placed and springs naturally from the performances. That's the good news. Somehow SEA OF LOVE lacks the kind of edge needed in a thriller like this. The surprise ending provides the desired shock, but then leaves a disappointing after-taste.
One thing that lured me to the theatre was the fact that SEA OF LOVE opened on three of the best screens in the Bay Area. Must be pretty, I thought. The print I saw had some of the worst color timing I've ever seen in a modern feature film. The colors had a sickly green cast, which could be the printer's fault, but most of the lighting seemed rather un-inspired, which is no doubt the Director of Photography's fault.
The fact that I was thinking about things like the hair in the gate and the quality of the print is a good indication that I wasn't swallowed up in the tension. That may be fine for some films, but it's a real problem for a thriller. If you're a fan of Pacino, Barkin or Goodman (or all three, as in my case) feel free to go enjoy their work. If you want another experience like FATAL ATTRACTION or JAGGED EDGE, save your money.
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--Craig
...{ucbvax,sun}!pixar!good
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