Sea of Love **** (1989, Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman) – Classic Movie Review 1513

Director Harold Becker’s sizzling 1989 thriller Sea of Love is arguably his finest movie, though City Hall (1996) comes a very near second.

Al Pacino is on his best form as love-crazed cop Detective Frank Keller, who makes the mistake of romancing his case’s number one suspect called Helen Cruger (the mesmerising Ellen Barkin, also on her best form), as he tracks a killer working through the personal ads. The question is, is Barkin going to prove the love of Pacino’s life or the end of it?

The smouldering performances from the stars and Richard Price’s sultry, unsettling, first-rate screenplay keep you thoroughly engrossed, totally involved and guessing throughout.

John Goodman has excellent rapport with Pacino as his wisecracking fellow cop Detective Sherman and there is rock solid support from William Hickey as Pacino’s ancient dad, Michael Rooker, Barbara Baxley, Samuel L Jackson and Richard Jenkins. Also co-starring are Jacqueline Brookes, Patricia Barry, Gene Canfield, Larry Joshua, John Spencer, Mark Phelan and Paul Calderon.

Also in the cast are Michael O’Neill, Michael Fischetti, Luis Ramos, Rafael Baez , Damian Leake, Zachary Michael Simmons, John Thaddeus, Joshua Nelson, Cristofer de Oni, Dwayne McClary and Thom Curley.

Sea of Love is directed by Harold Becker, runs 112 minutes, is released by Universal, is written by Richard Price, is shot by Ronnie Taylor, is produced by Martin Bregman and Louis A Stroller, is scored by Trevor Jones, and is designed by John Jay Moore.

This is Becker from his glory days of Taps, Malice and City Hall, which reunited him with Pacino. Domestic Disturbance in 2001 is his last movie to date by 2018.

Several scenes featuring Lorraine Bracco as Pacino’s former wife were cut before release but reinserted for the American TV premiere. These additions are all included on the Universal Thrillers full-length, restored version of the movie. The British TV print shows a longer version than the original release print with three extra scenes. The DVD features three deleted scenes, but oddly not those with Bracco.

It is an intense, tough-toned thriller with guns, violence, sex, nudity, smoking and drinking and around 30 F-words.

Ellen Barkin is a Primetime Emmy winner.

Ellen Barkin is a Golden Globe nominee for Switch (1991) and a Primetime Emmy winner for Before Women Had Wings (1997).

Martin Bregman (1926–2018).

RIP mighty producer Martin Bregman, best known for Scarface (1983), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Sea of Love (1989) and Carlito’s Way (1993). He died on 16 June 2018, aged 92.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1513

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