Sea of Love

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Sea of Love

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Sea of Love

Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, Michael Rooker, Richard Jenkins

After a career slump that plagued him through most of the 1980s, Al Pacino made a stellar comeback in this taut 1989 thriller, playing a weary New York police detective who falls in love with the woma...( read more  read more... )n (Ellen Barkin) who is the prime suspect in the murder case he's investigating. Expertly written by Richard Price and directed by Harold Becker, the story is designed to keep its central characters (and the viewer) in a state of constant suspicion and arousal--an emotional combination that sends dangerous sparks flying between Pacino and Barkin. Their chemistry is intense, and their love scenes are some of the hottest of any movie of its decade. But Sea of Love is not merely concerned with cheap titillation. It's a riveting whodunit with scenes of nail-biting suspense and memorable dialogue that make it as interesting to listen to as it is to watch. Barkin had made a similarly sexy impression in The Big Easy, and here she gives one of the best performances of her underrated career, matching Pacino's excellence scene for scene. The ending's a bit of a letdown because the murder solution comes somewhat out of the blue, but it's the acting and suspense that you'll remember most--qualities that make Sea of Love one of the best films of its kind. --Jeff Shannon

Id: 8480599

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Recent Reviews

Sea of Love Recent Reviews
  • sononothing
    March 3, 2009
    sononothing
    Al Pacino attempted to save his career with the cop thriller Sea of Love which kicked the era of Pacino playing detectives into overdrive. Pacino plays Detective Frank Keller, a burnt out cop whose wife has left him leaving him lonely and drunk most of the time. His begins a homi...( read more)cide investigation into an almost execution style slaying in which the victim is found nude on the bed while a 45 rpm record of "Sea of Love" plays in the background. More murders pile up leading them to a personal column. Keller and his partner Sherman (John Goodman) go undercover by writing an ad and going on "dates" with numerous replies. It's on one of these "dates" that Keller meets Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) who develops a relationship with Keller and also slowly becomes the investigations chief suspect.

    Sea of Love is your paint by numbers crime thriller. It's a predictable piece that, even though its characters are well defined and acted, tends to follow a treasure map to the prize at the end- the big reveal. The big reveal is satisfying and when you think about it actually makes sense (as opposed to other films of this ilk). Pacino gives us an OK performance. Certainly not his best, but it's been a lot worse. Barkin is great as the femme fatale, sexy with an attitude. John Goodman plays the sidekick without being the funnyman to Pacino's straight man. Overall this is a slightly above average film that delivers as promised just like the hundreds of other movies before and after it.
  • rebvodka042099
    July 10, 2008
    rebvodka042099
    Sorry, Al, didn't like it.
  • kenstachnik
    December 30, 2007
    kenstachnik
    Pretty solid little Serial Killer flick that was Al Pacino's comeback project. Clever characters and getting to look at Ellen Barkin make this a very watchable genre gem.
  • Deano78
    May 21, 2007
    Deano78
    A great cop thriller. Very steamy, similar to In the cut.
  • jonnycrumley
    August 28, 2008
    jonnycrumley
    Great Pacino movie, with good characters and a well written story. Great sex scene too.
  • Arianeta
    November 19, 2009
    Arianeta
    SEA OF LOVE is a song written by John Phillip Baptiste (aka Phil Phillips) and George Khoury. Phillips' 1959 recording of the song peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, Marty Wilde covered the song, and Phillips' version failed t...( read more)o chart there. It was the first and only top 40 chart song for Phillips, who never recorded another hit.
    The song was the subject of the 1989 Harold Becker film Sea of Love starring Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. The 2007 film, Juno, features a cover version of the song by Cat Power in its soundtrack.
  • Epicouros
    November 5, 2009
    Epicouros
    a film for AL and Ellen Barkin . a police movie with a cop who falls in love with the main suspect in a story of serial killer ...very known all these , but the cast and the "tight " directory , give worth to an ordinary story
  • aniacel
    October 31, 2009
    aniacel
    another special story with great actors
  • jackgbowman
    October 26, 2009
    jackgbowman
    Pacino's comeback great twist at the end.
  • wingtips03
    October 20, 2009
    wingtips03
    After a career slump that plagued him through most of the 1980s, Al Pacino made a stellar comeback in this taut 1989 thriller, playing a weary New York police detective who falls in love with the woma... Good Thriller
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