Sea of Love (film)
| Sea of Love | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Harold Becker |
| Produced by | Martin Bregman |
| Written by | Richard Price |
| Starring | Al Pacino Ellen Barkin John Goodman Michael Rooker William Hickey Richard Jenkins Paul Calderón Samuel L. Jackson |
| Music by | Trevor Jones |
| Editing by | David Bretherton |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
| Release date(s) | September 15, 1989 |
| Running time | 113 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $110,879,513 |
Sea of Love is a 1989 American thriller film directed by Harold Becker. It was written by Richard Price and stars Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin and John Goodman.
The film is about a New York City detective trying to catch a serial killer who finds victims through the singles column in a newspaper.[1] It is credited as the film that pulled Pacino out of his slump of film failures that occupied much of the 1980s. It was also Pacino's first film in four years.
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[edit] Plot
New York Police detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino) is a burnt-out alcoholic. His wife ran away from him and remarried one of his colleagues. His anger and aggression are mainly to hide the fact that he is depressed about reaching middle age and has 20 years of police work under his belt. To forget his woes, he investigates the murder of a man in Manhattan, shot dead while face down in his bed, naked, listening to an old 45rpm recording of "Sea of Love". Keller has three clues - a lipstick-smeared cigarette, a want ad the dead man placed in a newspaper and a perfect set of fingerprints.
A second man dies in the same manner in Queens. Detective Sherman Touhey (John Goodman) from the local precinct suggests that he and Frank collaborate. Both victims put rhyming ads in the lonely hearts column of the paper looking for dates. They track down Raymond Brown (Michael O'Neill), the only other man with a rhyming ad. He's a married man and admits placing the ad, but swears on his children's lives that he threw away all the letters and never saw anyone.
Frank gets an idea to place their own rhyming ad in the paper, take any women who respond to a restaurant and take the prints from their drinking glasses. Frank's boss (John Spencer) thinks it is an excuse for Frank to try and end his loneliness, and does not approve the idea. He changes his mind when Raymond Brown also turns up dead in the same manner as the other two murder victims.
Frank has dinner with several women, while Sherman — posing as a waiter — puts their glasses into evidence bags. One of the women, Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) snubs Keller and leaves before she takes a drink. Keller bumps into her again at a market, but this time, Cruger is more friendly. Frank takes Helen to his place, against his better judgement and advice from Sherman not to do so. They start getting passionate when Frank panics finding a gun in her purse, but it turns out to be just a starting pistol. Frank and Helen begin a relationship.
Keller has a chance to obtain Cruger's fingerprints on a glass, but decides to wipe the glass clean. Their relationship becomes somewhat rocky when Cruger discovers that Keller is a cop. He nearly gives away the fact that she was involved in a sting, but plays it off as an attempt to hide his very-real feelings for her. Later, he discovers that she responded to each of the victims' ads and confronts her, but she does not admit to anything and he throws her out.
Cruger's ex-husband Terry (Michael Rooker) breaks into Keller's apartment and, threatening him with a gun, makes Frank lie on his bed and show him how he made love to Helen, just as he had done with his ex-wife's other three boyfriends before he killed them. Frank overpowers Terry and tries to call the police, but the killer lunges at him and, in the ensuing struggle, Terry is accidentally thrown through the window and plunges to his death.
Frank and Helen reunite. She forgives him, and they resume their relationship.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical
The movie got very positive reviews from critics.[2][3][4][5] According to the website Rottentomatoes.com, 84% of the reviews were positive, based on 19 reviews.
[edit] Box Office
The film did well domestically debuting at No.1.[6] In its second week it had a 22% drop.[7] Sea of Love grossed $58.5 million domestically and $52.3 million overseas to a total of $110.8 million worldwide.
[edit] References
- ^ "Sea of Love". Washington Post. 1989-09-15. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/seaofloverbrown_a0adaf.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ Thomas, Kevin (1989-09-15). "MOVIE REVIEWS : Pacino and Barkin Make a Big Splash in Sea of Love". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-15/entertainment/ca-131_1_al-pacino. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ "Sea of Love". Washington Post. 1989-09-15. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/seaofloverhinson_a0a95a.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ "Sea of Love". Chicago Sun Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19890915/REVIEWS/909150302. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ "Sea of Love". Variety. 1988-12-31. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794698?refcatid=31. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ Cerone, Daniel (1989-09-19). "Pacino Buoys 'Sea of Love' at Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-19/entertainment/ca-232_1_box-office. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
- ^ Cerone, Daniel (1989-09-26). "Black Rain, 'Sea of Love' Tops at Box Office : WEEKEND BOX OFFICE". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-26/entertainment/ca-76_1_box-office-figures. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
[edit] External links
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