Romeo Is Bleeding (1994)

23% of critics liked it
(35 reviews)
61% of users liked it
(7,278 ratings)

New York cop Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) has a nice home, a stunning wife Natalie (Annabella Sciorra), and a sweet, if stupid mistress, Sheri (Juliette Lewis). Jack also earns extra money by betraying mob witnesses to Mafia-boss Don Falcone (Roy Scheider). Assigned to guard the viciously sexy… More New York cop Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) has a nice home, a stunning wife Natalie (Annabella Sciorra), and a sweet, if stupid mistress, Sheri (Juliette Lewis). Jack also earns extra money by betraying mob witnesses to Mafia-boss Don Falcone (Roy Scheider). Assigned to guard the viciously sexy Russian-born hit woman, Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin), Jack is almost instantly seduced and allows Mona to escape. Falcone orders Jack to find and kill Mona, and threatens to murder him if he fails. Mona offers to pay Jack to help her eliminate Falcone and fake her own death. Several plot twists and turns later, Jack is left with his life in shambles. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Peter Medak
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1993 Wide
On DVD: Mar 19, 2002
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy, Variety
The far-fetched plotting eventually goes so far over the top that pic flirts with inventing a new genre of film noir camp.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
It would be facile to say it substitutes style for content; actually, it substitutes stylishness for style.
David Hunter, Hollywood Reporter
Stylistic but ultimately unsatisfying.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
For all its promise, and for all the brittle beauty of Dariusz Wolski's cinematography, Romeo Is Bleeding eventually collapses under the weight of its violent affectations.
Joe Brown, Washington Post
Romeo is most notable for being the first film of the year to cash in on post-Bobbitt fears of castrating (and worse) females.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Basically, there's nothing new or revolutionary about Mona.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's a senseless, tasteless and demented postmodern noir that has about as much class as a gimpy $10 Times Square hooker.
, Film4
This is a battle-of-the-sexes movie played out at such a pitch of pervsity and amorality that it ultimately becomes rather laughable.
Phillipa Bloom, Empire Magazine
[It's] never content with one cliche when it can shovel on ten.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The cast tries to make up for the script's hollowness by hurling themselves headlong into the sort of bloody, sweating, spittle-spewing performances that can sometimes turn thin material into personal triumphs, but to little avail.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
An underrated gem. Gary Oldman is amazing.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Film noir at its worst and most excessive, an exercise in style, marred by ridicuolous voiceover narration and incomprehensible plot points; Lena Olin gives a sexy over the top performance.
, Time Out
Hilary Henkin's script isn't as smart as it thinks it is, and only Olin's breathtakingly excessive femme fatale hits the right note of campy panache.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Perversely fascinating. Solid direction from Peter Medak.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Offbeat noir buoyed mostly by its offbeat actors
Leonard Schwarz, Palo Alto Weekly
Cynicism, greed and wonderfully florid dialogue radiate throughout every scene in director Peter Medak's quirky and constantly inventive new film noir.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Olin is one of the most vile female protagonists to ever walk out on a screen. Made little chinchillas run up and down my spine.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stella D

films like this give noir a bad name. oldman's voiceover is irritating, the script is all over the place and the final result is more sleazy than stylish. almost quit on it a couple times but it kept promising to get better...then went completely off the deep end. the only… More
films like this give noir a bad name. oldman's voiceover is irritating, the script is all over the place and the final result is more sleazy than stylish. almost quit on it a couple times but it kept promising to get better...then went completely off the deep end. the only thing worth watching here is lena olin's psychotic lingerie-clad hitwoman. she's pretty great. what a waste
Anthony L

Good film but it feels really dated even though it?s not that old!
Steve K

Olin is fantastic, but the movie is overcooked.
Michael G

Not as good as I remember it was. But of course, Gary Oldman was incredible.
Greg A

Gary literally saves this movie from just being another crime and double-agent clusterfuck like so many noir films that tried too hard to be noir. Everyone has an angle and the jazz music ensues, I'll be damned if I don't like it though.
Linda K

The film starts a little slow but it gets better as it goes. The story seems to miss some elements to really add the dark side of gangsterism. Gary Oldman is always on top of his game. But Lena Olin is the real deal. She is the modern version of femme fatale. Overall, do not expect… More
The film starts a little slow but it gets better as it goes. The story seems to miss some elements to really add the dark side of gangsterism. Gary Oldman is always on top of his game. But Lena Olin is the real deal. She is the modern version of femme fatale. Overall, do not expect too much from the film, otherwise it might be disappointing.
Chosen 7

Weird film, good performances by Gary Oldman and Lena Olin.
Adam M

Very good film noir/thriller with Gary Oldman as a US cop who starts to get involved with gangsters after giving tip- offs on various gangland targets,in return for alot of cash.He seems to be enjoying this as it seems an easy way to make alot of money for what is a fairly easy… More
Very good film noir/thriller with Gary Oldman as a US cop who starts to get involved with gangsters after giving tip- offs on various gangland targets,in return for alot of cash.He seems to be enjoying this as it seems an easy way to make alot of money for what is a fairly easy job.That is until a sexy,but mental, assasin,played very well by Lena Olin, becomes involved and Oldman's character gets seduced just as the gangsters order him to kill her.Things get interesting as Olmans character,Jack,has desicions to make that will effect the life of him and his wife,as well as the double crossing assasins'.Although it looks a little dated this is a well made and very well acted thriller with Oldman putting in another great performance.