Someone to Watch Over Me

As cliched as you can imagine a film to be. There's some (but in the grander scheme of things barely any) class consciousness stuff which is quickly put to the side in order to serve a dull, empty romance plot concerning two selfish people being really selfish and not much else. Lorraine Bracco is alright. And what a precocious child she has!

68.000

It's a mere moral cop tale about being happy and tedious at the same time -- Berenger plays this bored, newbie detective who has wife and kid and lives in Queens -- and then trying to quit family and office by hooking up with this lonely witness. Predictable, easy to follow, but I appreciate this Scott's Manhattan, a jazzy, grim, smoky city that is presented like a noirish, Claire-like treat: attractive and dangerous. The finale should've been ambiguous, and not this comfortable. Too bad.

Ridley Scott and Tom Berenger can't believe they made this. So far Scott's worst movie I have seen. Very disappointed.

71.000

Ridley Scott can certainly put a visually arresting film together, but he rarely applies these powers to scripts that are worth a damn. This film's script isn't worth a damn.

Ridley set out with this drama to prove his ability to tell a good story outside sci-fi and without the aid of special effects. Any detractors seeking that proof must've been categorically disabused of their doubts, as this is among the most distinctively and charmingly acted, earnestly character-driven thrillers of the '80s and early '90s cycle. Ridley's rich visual textures and emphasis on the divide between the socioeconomic worlds of the characters create a full-flavored atmosphere.