1 Murder and Passion in the Big Apple
This review refers to "Someone To Watch Over Me"(VHS Columbia)...
No matter how often I view this thriller, I still get caught up in the suspense, the thrills and the romance. Director Ridley Scott does an excellent job of pulling us into the lives of the characters, and like in a good Hitchcock flick, has us wanting to warn them of impending danger.
New York City is the setting. On one side of town, in Queens, a party is going on at the modest home of newly promoted Detective, Mike Keegan. It's a close knit group of cops and their wives having a great time. Meanwhile in uptown Manhattan, another party is going on in a very upscale apartment, attended by the rich and "beautiful people". One of the guests is the lovely Claire Gregory. Claire is invited to view some artwork on a lower level of the building, and it is there she witnesses the brutal murder of her friend. The murderer spots her and now her very life is in danger.
Keegan has his first assignment...babysit the witness until the perp is hauled in and identified. But Joey Venza, the killer, is ruthless and is not going to let a few cops get in the way of his plans for Miss Gregory. The film provides many heartstopping moments of thrills and suspense as he goes after her. The film is more than just a thriller though, and as the song goes, like 'lost lambs', family man Mike and Claire find passion and comfort in each other's arms. The film becomes a complex but tight story of murder and passion, that will have you immersed from the first frame to the last.
The cast are all excellent. Tom Berenger is Keegan, torn between his family and his feelings for Claire, while still protecting her from harm. The role of Claire, is tailor made for the beautiful Mimi Rogers as she just exudes class. Lorraine Bracco packs a punch(literally) as Keegan's wife. Jerry Orbach is of course the perfect choice to play "the whip", Keegan's superior, John Rubinstein is Claire's stodgy boyfriend and Andreas Katsulas(the one armed murderer in "The Fugitve"), will scare you out of your wits as Joey Venza, "the perp".
An excellent soundtrack, that flows right along with the story, will treat you to some haunting Opera music, and 3 different renditions of "Someone To Watch Over Me", including one by Roberta Flack over the closing credits. The cinematography is also a wonderful plus for this film and includes some great views of the New York Skyline, and one fabulous shot of the WTC, as Berenger and Bracco are lunching in the city.
Five stars for a film that has not lost any of it's appeal since it's release in 1987. A great thriller to add to your library. One that will stand up to repeated heartpumping viewings.
Get the popcorn ready and enjoy.....Laurie
2 Not an Oscar winner, but worth watching
All right, this is a bit of a difficult film to review, because while I enjoyed it, I can't decide whether I would actually want to be bothered to watch it again -- and that usually defines a great movie, for me. But I'll do my best and we'll see where we go.
To sum up the plot, Tom Berenger plays Mike, a happily married (sexy) police detective who's hired to protect Claire (Mimi Rogers), a rich woman who's witnessed a murder. Predictably, perhaps, Claire and Mike fall in love, and as Mike's marriage begins to fall apart, the murderer steps up his pursuit of Claire in an attempt to find and destroy her...
Okay, okay, so it's a bit of an average plot, from the sounds of it. But the complexity of the storyline and the decent character developments kept me watching. I actually disliked all the of the performances of the principal actors, but they were probably the only actors for the parts and for each other in this movie. I like how Mimi Rogers's character likes opera, it gives her this artsy, deep dynamic, but all in all, I wasn't that convinced that her character actually develops beyond "learning not to fall in love with bodyguards." The same goes for the others. It's like the plot moves along, but the characters don't quite go with it.
Nonetheless! The actors aren't HORRIBLE, the plot is decent, and Tom Berenger is one hot bodyguard. Mimi Rogers DOES get the helpless victim act across well, and the set, costumes, etc. are terrific. The suspense is suspenseful. The movie will keep you interested.
One of the other reviewers of this movie wrote that 'Someone to Watch Over Me' is a good date movie. It is. It's definitely worth watching, if you're on a stay-in date, or just in need of a decent movie to kill time, and after watching it you'll feel that the two hours wasn't wasted. It's worth the $20 or so for the DVD if you like '80s movies; otherwise it's a rental, but a worthwhile one.
3 one of the classiest thrillers ever made
This movie is fantastic. Mimi Rogers plays a wealthy socialate
who witnesses a murder. The killer is after her. Tom Berenger
plays a detective who along with two other detectives are assigned to protect her. He takes the night shift. He is married and has a son. He is impressed by Mimi Rogers upper
class lifestyle, her beautiful apartment, classical music, she
is a very classy lady. I must say Mimi Rogers was perfect for
the part she is beautiful and carries herself so gracefully.
Tom Berenger is a blue collar detective. The two actors have
excellent chemistry. Tom Berenger is married. A romance begins
with Tom Berenger and Mimi Rogers. The killer is released on
a mistake which was made for his arrest. He is crazy and goes
after Mimi Rogers. This movie has a look about it like a 1940's
movie. The sets are amazing and the locations are breathtaking.
The movie is very suspenseful and the ending is excellent. This
is one of the best movies ever made in my opinion
4 a smart, stylish, thriller
Mimi Rogers plays a wealthy socialate who witnesses a brutal
murder. Tom Berenger and two other detectives are to protect
her in three different shifts. Tom Berenger gets the night shift. This movie shows the side of life that Mimi Roger's
character brings to blue collar detective Tom Berenger. She
introduces him to art, classical music, fancy parties. A romance
develops. Tom Berenger is married and has a son. He is torn
between his family life and the life he can live with Mimi
Rogers. All this aside the murderer is after Mimi Rogers after
he is released from jail. This movie is full of suspense and
a classy thriller. Mimi Rogers was perfect for the part she looks beautiful. She and Tom Berenger have excellent chemistry.
The actress who plays Berenger's wife is good also. This movie
has a shocking ending worthy of the suspenseful storyline. One
of the greatest thrillers ever made
5 Window to the soul
I have never seen another movie in which the actors were more capable of baring their souls with nothing more than the expression in their eyes. Bracco, Rodgers and Berenger 'spoke' far more than was scripted, leading us through the changes in relationships between the characters and the depth of feeling accompanying those changes without words. In most scenes concerning the confusion, pain, desperation and love which ties Mike, Ellie and Clair together, the spoken word was practically superfluous.
Ridley Scott is a master at creating tangible atmosphere; I could feel the bite of the cold New York air and smell the aromas of the city; I could have wrapped the opulence of Clair's penthouse around me like a silk duvetyn. Mr. Scott is also a master of the understated. Consider the moment that Mike crossed the line of fidelity and kissed Clair for the first time.... There was more passion in that embrace, in that kiss, than I have seen in a dozen movies put together since, because I was left to make of it what I would. Less being more, each viewer is allowed to create their own vision of what took place behind those closed doors, and so to make this part of the movie their own.
I admire the way Mr. Scott used the Manhattan skyline to show the change in Mike's focus. First Mike waits for his train, back turned to Manhattan, absorbed in his daily paper. The next morning he glances up at the skyline wistfully, having seen up close how the other half lives, aware that he could never belong there. Finally he gazes longingly uptown to where Clair waits, unsure as to how he arrived at this impossible juncture in his life.
To add accolaids once again to the actors, director and to the screenplay, I must say that although I am not a proponent of adultery, I completely empathized with each character by the end of the film. (I truely thought that I would hate Mike). The characters were so well developed and their emotions were so clearly defined (in part due to that non-verbal communication) that I cared about each one of them, and for a moment wished that everyone could live 'happily ever after'. This is no fairy tale, though. Life is tough, but we all go on, as do Mike, Ellie and Clair.
One last note .... The only reason I gave this film 4 instead of 5 stars was that god-awful opera that played constantly throughout Clair's penthouse. Had I been Clair I would have jumped off of the building! (Yes, I realize I have just incurred the ire of all opera lovers - I'm sorry.) The saving grace was that we got to hear two renditions of that great classic "Someone To Watch Over Me". A song to soothe all souls.
6 Not a bad movie for a night in front of the TV...
Personally speaking, I like a nice fairly straightforward thriller-type movie, with a little suspense, and a little romance, so this was up my ally! The characters were amazingly well-developed I thought, given the genre, and their situation was really compelling. Mimi Rogers was wonderful in her role-- not at all the "shallow" socialite stereotype, but a real person with real worries and real needs... Go ahead and check this one out if you're looking for a way to pass an evening! But get the DVD if you can, I found the VHS to be pretty low quality.
7 Good Date Movie.
This movie somehow got overlooked in theatres, but there's no need to miss it now.
Long story short: Rich socialite Mimi Rogers witnesses a mob hit and thus becomes a target. Tom Berenger is a blue-collar cop assigned to protect her. He is attracted to her, but is married (to Lorraine Bracco, playing the same character she always played before The Sopranos). Complicating matters is that she is attracted to him and the intense situation is constantly pushing them together.
What sets "Someone..." apart from other movies with similar plots is that Bracco's character is pretty sympathetic so it's not a cut-and-dried issue. Berenger is drawn to Rogers because she is a vulnerable woman who needs protection. Bracco's character is a strong, independent Brooklynite who can challenge him in the relationship, but can't provide the one thing he needs (a chance to be needed). High-concept stuff when you think about it.
All of this romance is sandwiched in between a pretty good thriller as Berenger attempts to protect Rogers from some very bad guys. The thriller-story is what the movie was sold on and it succeeds on that level.
The DVD offers some good extras, but nothing inventive.
Don't miss this one a second time.
8 Not an great Ridley Scott film
Out of all of the Ridley Scott movies that I have seen, this is the worst of them. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good movie, but compared to Gladiator or Blade Runner this is nothing. I'm also not a big fan of Tom Berenger, he doesn't seem to come off very believable in his movies and that is why he only does straight-to-video movies now. Mimi Rogers is all right, she seemed like a real person in a real situation. The story is also well developped, my only problem was the length of the film which is approximately 95 minutes. Other Ridley Scott films that you should check out if you liked this: White Squall, Thelma & Louise and G.I. Jane.
9 Watch this for Berenger, Bracco, and Rogers
This is an enjoyable movie if you ignore the simple-minded and logic-deficient "thriller" plot (would that brutal guy REALLY be permitted to run around the city for that long, repeatedly trying to kill witnesses??) and just concentrate on the nicely drawn characterizations of the three main protagonists, with their genuinely complicated emotional dilemmas. Also, the cinematography and music are top notch, as is the image quality of the DVD.
10 How do I get the Soundtrack?
This movie has everything. Suspence, romance, good dialogue, and fantastic settings. Great acting, with thought provoking scenes and a realistic ending. It also has beautiful background music. Is there anywhere I can get the soundtrack? Does anyone know? Thanks!
11 Very well done
Mimi Rogers plays a young socialite who inadvertently becomes a madman's target when she is the sole witness to a murder he commits. Tom Berenger is the "someone" who watches over her, the simple Irish-American cop who must stand guard over her, night and day, in her almost supernaturally opulent New York penthouse. Eventually, predictably, but still excitingly, sparks fly between them, and romance ensues. Tom Berenger's character is married to a woman played by the fiery Lorraine Bracco, who today is one of the (justly) most acclaimed stars of "The Sopranos." This love triangle tears them all apart, in painfully character-revealing ways. Meanwhile, the plot becomes more complicated when the madman eludes justice and begins stalking Mimi Rogers. She realizes that she had made a huge mistake in trusting Tom Berenger with her life, but she can't stop being in love with him. He's in a similar boat, and it rips them both apart even more.
Set during the height of late 80's, post-Reagan era New York, this movie pulls absolutely no punches at all when it comes to portraying class differences. Tom Berenger must function, and keep his sanity, while shuttling back and forth between his working class Queens neighborhood and the playgrounds of the richest group of people, by far, in the entire world. I really felt for Tom Berenger's character, and his lostness among the rich... There is a moment when his wife tried to regain his interest in her by suggesting that they go to what is, in her eyes, an incredibly swank, ritzy restaurant. She's fighting hard to keep her husband, pulling out all the stops, doing everything she can think of. You can see in Lorraine Bracco's eyes, as she suggests it, that it's the nicest place her character has ever been to, the epitome of hoity-toityness. (By the way -- how did Lorraine Bracco do that?!?! She really does communicate important information with her eyes, without even speaking. That what I call acting!) All Tom Berenger's character can say in reply is the immortal line "The one in... Brooklyn?" as he tries weakly to look enthused. That's the moment, as far as I'm concerned, when you can see he's in very, very, VERY real danger of losing his soul. This movie makes you see things through his eyes, and works hard to capture perfectly differences in body language, carriage, diction, eye contact, politeness, etc. between the rich and regular Americans. The art gallery shots do this particularly well.
Anyway, this movie really draws you in, as you might guess from this review. I recommend the living daylights out of "Someone to Watch Over Me." Two thumbs up.
12 Great Movie
This movie has a little bit of everthing. Romance, intrigue, drama. This film is definately worth seeing and owning. You will find your self relating to the characters in the movie. This is a film you will watch over and over again.
13 About the songs
The theme song, played in the beginning and in the nightclub scene, is by GENE AMMONS,and is available on a CD titled JAZZ FOR LOVERS.But there are at least two CDs titled Jazz for Lovers and you want the one with Someone to Watch Over Me as the first track. It's also on Gene Ammons' CD titled Jentle Gug. Bought both on Amazon.
14 Movie with Great Soundtrack
This movie presented the alltime problems with illicit affairs in any city, expecially New York. The drama and excitement together presented a great movie. Mostly, I enjoyed the music but unfortunately, I cannot locate the soundtrack. If anyone knows the artist(s) and performer of each sound performance, please advise. I would love to purchase the music or request that a studio re-print the soundtrack.
15 Sound track and Mimi Rogers - I want both!
I agree that Tom Berenger is only O.K. for the part. He took his accent from "Rocky Balboa" at times. Aside from that if someone would give Mimi Rogers my e-mail address, I would appreciate it! Ask her to also bring a copy of the sound track; I know she must have a few!
16 Captivatingly on edge...
This is one of my all time favorite movies. The film was well made, seductive and intriguing. I too have been searching for a soundtrack for years...rumor has it for all of you on the hunt, is that it is out of print...maybe if we band together more copies can be issued?
17 About the songs....
Well, here's some info on the great opera song in the soundtrack....good luck finding the soundtrack!!!
"Aria from LA WALLY" aka "Ebben? ne andr˜ lontana" Composed by Alfredo Catalani (1854-1893) Performed by Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez with the London Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Vladimir Cosma Courtesy by DEG Records, Inc.
An opera that hasn't been staged frequently, possibly because it calls for the heroine Wally and her lover to die on stage in an avalanche. Still, the aria from Act 1 has become one of the most popular in the repertoire, helped by its use in the film Someone to Watch Over Me. Wally has been ordered by her father to marry Gellner, but she is in love with Hagenbach. She resolves to leave home for love rather than be forced into marriage, and this aria is the expression of her feelings.
Recordings of the complete opera are available but are few; the aria is the highlight. It has been used before in the movie Crimson Tide, Diva as well as this one; also UK TV ads for Rowenta Powermaster.
18 SoundTrack???
Great Movie... Is there a soundtrack? Does anyone know
19 Excellent movie!
I, too, am looking for the soundtrack to this movie
20 Loved it!
Is there a soundtrack to this movie? I would love to find it
