This is a submission to Captain D's Good Movies Epi Guide 2 write-off: http://www.epinions.com/content_5245804676.

"Other women, like my ex-wife Denise, for example...you step out of line a little, she'd like to stick it here, stick it there. Let you walk around bleeding. This one, bingo! No muss, no fuss. Evelyn Woods School of Speed Revenge. No walking wounded. Oh...f---in' women!"

SEA OF LOVE was the movie which salvaged Al Pacino's flagging career as a screen actor in the 1980s, an era which will be defined by many on the basis of Tony Montana and little else. The disastrous production and reception of the 1985 historical drama Revolution sent the actor towards the stage for the latter half of the decade. Bronx-born author Richard Price had adapted his novel Ladies' Man into a screenplay and the movie was supposedly to involve Dustin Hoffman until a fallout allowed for Pacino to take over the role.

The character of Frank Keller seems to color most of the post-SEA OF LOVE roles Pacino has gone on to do in the 1990s and beyond. A capable, intuitive detective bothered by restless nights, midlife crisis and unresolved emotional conflicts, I couldn't resist thinking of this movie after watching Heat, Insomnia or 88 Minutes. There is a certain weight conveyed in the rough but assertive quality of his voice, the slouched posture in his walk, the bags under his eyes, and the weathered delivery of his lines. Pacino may have gone on to do a third Godfather film, work twice with De Niro and team up with DePalma one more time, but Frank Keller feels like the quintessential Al Pacino role when you look back post-Scarface.

Thank goodness SEA OF LOVE holds up as an erotically-charged, gritty New York noir film which came in the middle of the Joe Eszterhas-penned thrillers Jagged Edge and Basic Instinct, both of which boast similar if glossier plots. Chalk it up to the way Price and Pacino develop Frank Keller as a full-fledged human character, a middle-aged NYPD officer who faces his own mortality at work and in private. His latest case involves a man named James Mackey, a man found naked and murdered on his bed with lipstick-stained cigarette butts in his ashtray and a 45 copy of Phil Phillips' "Sea of Love" playing in rotation on a turntable. Lonely as a result of losing his wife, Denise, to fellow officer Gruber (Richard Jenkins) and being told that he's at the age of retirement, the fatigued, alcoholic Keller lies on the mattress at the scene of the crime.

A surprise visit by a single woman named Gina (Christine Estabrook) gives Keller a great idea. Working alongside detective Sherman Touhey (John Goodman), who is investigating a second homicide victim done in the same way as Mackey, Detective Keller proposes that whittle down any potential female suspects by putting in a classified ad in the New York Weekly similar to the romantic, rhyming entries placed by the newly-deceased men (Keller foolishly forgets to have a potential third victim under protection, and he turns up dead immediately). But Pacino is a real lonelyheart type of guy, and by the time Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) shows up in the trap only to escape without so much as fingerprints on the wine glass, Keller is set to become enraptured with this stranger in the red leather jacket who talks of "animal attraction."

Keller knows he must try to validate any suspicion about Helen, but their first night together is both fiercely passionate and wrought with danger. Although Pacino is intense and commanding throughout a great deal of the film, Barkin (The Big Easy, This Boy's Life) ends up giving this movie a spark which sets it truly ablaze. Although she arrives about halfway into the film, Barkin matches Pacino in terms of conviction and presence. On two occasions during said night of love, Helen acts like a sexual predator, circling Keller like a wild creature only to disrobe slightly and attack him again. There are hints of a possible murderess in the way she twists the belt from her robe around her hand and also in the scene where she ends up frisking him in a sort of role reversal, unaware that Keller is not the printer he says he is.

Keller's desperation and Helen's feral firepower are both served by fully-realized characters both in the acting and on paper. Although she seems the femme fatale, Barkin brings a savvy and respectable nuance to Helen that teases the viewer as much as it does Keller into trying to decide whether or not she's guilty. As a working woman/night owl with a daughter from a previous relationship, we feel there are stakes in her life as much as what is invested in Keller. Price also does right by Keller's self-absorption and torment, allowing enough introspection and struggling honesty to allow for a convincingly flawed hero. The movie also begins and ends with two fine showcases for Pacino's self-deprecating sense of humor, especially his impression of Phil Rizzuto at a Yankees pre-game brunch ceremony/sting operation. That these characters' chemistry is so palpable owes a great deal to the excellence in the script and acting. Even the supermarket seduction scene, which borders on the late-night cable erotica of its time, is performed and handled in a way that honestly feels scintillating.

Price does a good job of twisting our perceptions of Helen's compliance in the murders, so it's a shame that I felt the ending is a bit of a cheat. I shouldn't say too much, but there is a red herring established early in the film who comes to be revealed way too late in the game and without a believable set-up. The result is that the murder mystery aspect feels entirely rushed in its need to be resolved so that we can finally allow Helen and Keller's (oops!) relationship some closure. Price fares much better when it comes to dialogue, an early highlight being when Keller and Gruber inspect Mackey's corpse and Keller brings up Denise after he fails to detect the proper time of the corpse's passing based on the lividity ("We're in the same squad, six years. We don't so much as even have a beer together").

I forgot to mention the director, Harold Becker. As he will defend throughout the extras on this DVD, his main goal was to do right by the New York City setting and all of its factions which come to be used in the plot, from the police department to the massive crowds and the nature of the singles life. Becker does elicit such verisimilitude throughout the course of the movie, and he develops the mystery elements in a brisk, riveting manner. The supporting performances are also handled well by Becker, with John Goodman allowing for mirth and casual humor to surface without compromising the integrity and professionalism of his Sherman Touhey. It's not to say Goodman can't provoke a handful of smile-inducing moments, such as when he picks up on a karaoke rendition of "Sea of Love" at a dinner or ends up having an ill-fated affair with Gina. However, you can see the man known mostly for Roseanne at this time as a believable PD from Queens.

Aside from Goodman, the cast is also well-stacked with stand-outs. Michael Rooker, whose essential turn in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer had yet to be seen theatrically because of ongoing MPAA issues, does fine as a cable repairman named Terry who fingers a young, black supermarket employee as a suspect. William Hickey is splendid in a brief appearance as Frank's father, who relays the poem his sweetheart wrote in high school as Keller, Touhey and fellow officers kick around ideas. Patricia Barry makes an impression as an older lady who is the first of the women whom we see have wine with Keller at O'Neals' bistro. There is a vulnerability and sadness to her which sticks with you and undoubtedly stings Keller by the night's end. Also featured in the cast are Paul Calderon as fellow officer Serafino, John Spencer as the lieutenant and, in another early appearance, Samuel L. Jackson, who would go on to win the role in Pulp Fiction that would've been played by Calderon.

SEA OF LOVE works as a character study and well-acted ensemble piece on very high levels. The mystery itself could've been handled better in the screenplay, but I was still embroiled by the tension apparent in the affair between investigator and suspect, and these elements are handled in a way that is mature without feeling tawdry. The three main performances by Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin and John Goodman are pitch-perfect and keep the film afloat even if the script doesn't seem to satisfy in its final moments. At least it remains an entertaining and economical experience which managed to restore the public's faith in Pacino, who got a much needed career boost thanks to this project.

The image on the Collector's Edition DVD is presented in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. The cinematographer is Ronnie Jones, who had lensed three Dario Argento films as well as a few by Richard Attenborough. The glory of this DVD presentation is that his stylized lighting choices are given much greater detail and clarity than I've seen in the many times I've viewed this film on pay TV or VHS. Blackness levels are very deep and shadows look more pronounced than I remember. Color saturation and flesh tones are also highly improved. Contrast and sharpness are fine enough given the film was made in the late 1980s, and they seem to have struck a fine negative devoid of any serious print flaws. I noticed some edge enhancement, but that's all I can say in regards of the transfer.

The movie's soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Surround. The musical score was composed largely by Trevor Jones, with a Sade track playing over the scene in the market as well as a particularly awesome cover of the title song by Tom Waits. These elements sounded the best in the mix, with audible dialogue rooted solely in the center channel. The more active elements and the ambience of the setting, which mixes NYC exteriors with Toronto interiors, also come across with decent separation. The mix sounds a little anemic given how it hasn't been improved to a 5.1 job, but it does the job. There's also a Dolby 2.0 mix in French and a mono track in Spanish, plus optional subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

Harold Becker provides commentary on a separate audio track. Although he's very genial and full of hearty observations, the commentary in general sticks to one particular theme: Becker's desire to attain authenticity in all formal elements. From the urban mood in the musical score, which marries a lonely saxophone with hi-hat and keyboard washes, to the faithful recreations of diners and police offices so as to avoid overcrowded and cramped filming conditions, Becker is all over the necessities in being faithful to the look of NYC. Although he is wont to drag in spots without much substantial information to offer, his observations feel informal and amiable. It would've been nice to have a partner, though.

Becker gets one for the 14-minute "The Creation of SEA OF LOVE" featurette in producer Martin Bregman. However, the topics (Becker's involvement after a previous director dropped out, the unwavering ability of Pacino to stay in character no matter if someone knocks him out of the frame) all seem to overlap with the commentary, and the lack of any comments by the performers or other crew members give it an overall feeling of irrelevance.

There is a six-minute reel of deleted scenes included with the package, although none of the reinstated clips with the actual character of Keller's ex, Denise (as played by Lorraine Bracco), used for the TV broadcasts are to be found. Instead, the most substantial outtake clarifies the lack of guilt in one of the many suspects offered by the film (special hint: Spooney) and another sequence involves an excised cameo appearance by Richard Price. The last extra here is the film's theatrical trailer which, like the deleted scenes, is presented in full frame and with Dolby 2.0 audio. The front cover replaces the theatrical cover art, which looked too much like a James Bond movie poster in retrospect, with a simple shot of Pacino being caressed by Barkin.

Movie: 4/5.
Video: 4/5.
Sound: 3/5.
Extras: 2.5/5.
Final: 3.5/5. I will estimate this to four stars on the basis of my appreciation for the movie. Be advised that from what I've read, the HD-DVD edition is a bust. Chances are, you're better off with this edition of SEA OF LOVE on standard DVD until they really give this a worthy upgrade.

SEA OF LOVE is a Universal Pictures release, rated R for violence, language, nudity, and sexual content. The running time is 113 minutes and the film's theatrical release date was September 15, 1989.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age