Someone to Watch Over Me ***** (1987, Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers, Lorraine Bracco) – Classic Movie Review 9,415

Ridley Scott’s nail-biting 1987 American neo-noir romantic thriller film Someone to Watch Over Me stars Tom Berenger as a New York cop assigned to protect a key murder trial witness, rich socialite Mimi Rogers.

Director Ridley Scott’s nail-bitingly gripping 1987 American neo-noir romantic thriller film Someone to Watch Over Me centres on nice married New York cop Mike Keegan (Tom Berenger), who is assigned to watch over rich socialite murder witness Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) in her palatial Manhattan apartment, where she is threatened by a killer.

But love starts to complicate the job as Keegan (Berenger) is torn between his loving wife Ellie Keegan (Lorraine Bracco) and his up-town girl Claire, who has witnessed the murder of the owner of a smart club by mobster Joey Venza (Andreas Katsulas).

Scott’s tremendous visual style is at its sharpest, as seen especially in a moody, noir-lit New York, a chase through the Guggenheim museum, and a mirror scene courtesy of The Lady from Shanghai. The playing is subtle and charismatic, and the tale written by Howard Franklin mixes high-tech thrills and aching romance to great effect.

Someone to Watch Over Me is a true classic thriller and a far better and classier movie than the superficially similar Fatal Attraction, entertaining though that film is.

Sting and Roberta Flack sing George and Ira Gershwin’s haunting 1926 title tune ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ (but not together!). It was written for the musical Oh, Kay! and originally sung on Broadway by Gertrude Lawrence.

The film’s soundtrack also includes Vangelis’s ‘Memories of Green’, from Scott’s Blade Runner (1982).

British television may show an incoherent cut version, removing some swearing and violence.

Also in the cast are Jerry Orbach, John Rubinstein, Andreas Katsulas, Tony DiBenedetto, James E Moriarty [Jim Moriarty], Mark Moses, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Harley Cross, Joanne Baron, Anthony Bishop and David Berman.

Scott recalled: ‘As soon as I saw Tom (Berenger) in Platoon (1986), I thought Bingo! Sergeant Barnes [in Platoon] is the antithesis of Mike Keegan. But after seeing him play Barnes, and knowing what he did in The Big Chill (1983), I just said I’ve got to have this guy!’

Howard Franklin pitched the idea for the film to Scott in 1982 during a dinner party and it was written by Franklin by late 1982, but years later Scott brought in Danilo Bach and David Seltzer to hone it.

Shooting began for 13 weeks on December 8, 1986.

It grossed $10.3 million at the North American box office, against a budget of $12.8 million.

The cast

The cast are Tom Berenger as Mike Keegan, Mimi Rogers as Claire Gregory, Lorraine Bracco as Ellie Keegan, Jerry Orbach as Lt. Garber, John Rubinstein as Neil Steinhart, Andreas Katsulas as Joey Venza, Daniel Hugh Kelly as Scotty, Harley Cross as Tommy, Tony Di Benedetto as T J, James E Moriarty [Jim Moriarty] as Koontz, Mark Moses as Win Hockings, Joanne Baron, Anthony Bishop and David Berman.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9,415

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