3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Midnight...it's a very tough hour..., November 12, 2008
I have yet to read a single remark about this movie that makes me think anyone ever really watched it.
I did. Three times.
It's funny. It's also very European. It doesn't reflect an American sense of humor.
There's a gritty quality I really like. I find the visual aspect more than a little acceptable. The darkness of a lot of the scenes is moody, and evocative.
The core of the story has to do with the horrifying accidental wounding/disabling of a young child during an attempt to arrest a major drug dealer by the lead character, Inspector Alex Glass, played brilliantly by Armin Mueller-Stahl. We must observe the wretched condition of the man as the story opens.
He is sleepless, rumpled, irritable, and lacking in any kind of hope. All his life is sour, and he is being beaten down by the one terrible event of his existence, that has caused him to nearly lose himself.
Music is one of his few outlets. And then, there's the job. He has a new assistant, Shirley May, played wonderfully by Julia Kent, and a friend, the District Attorney, played by Michael York.
He also eventually finds himself involved with Lisa, an apparent bimbo, who manages to become another drop of the glue of life that keeps him from disintegrating.
I was not impressed by Morgan Fairchild the first time I watched the movie. Like most others making comments, I thought she was an absurd choice. That is, until I thought it over for a while. It dawned on me that she was actually perfect for the role, and when she threw her head back and laughed in one scene with Mr. Mueller-Stahl, I fell in love with the character, and with the actress. She was funny, sexy and pretty, as this character, and she was brave. Good for Lisa!
Alex is older than she. So what? We should all be so magnetic and well-preserved as we grow older. They're a rather odd couple. That does nothing but lend a spicy, amusing and rather sweet atmosphere to a very gruesome and sometimes terribly sad tale.
Frank Stallone was a great villain. I've seen him in other films, and I was so impressed by his talent, I couldn't figure out why the kid brother got so famous, and eclipsed him. The way the cookie crumbles I guess.
I recommend this as a movie that must be viewed with a sense of humor. And intelligence, because it isn't for dummies. It's a spoof of American cop pictures, where the hero never misses, and sex, as audience bait, takes the place of acting.
Yes, there's sex in this movie, and some of it is hilarious. However, there's never a glimpse of action on-screen. That's a nice change from all the sweating and heaving that goes on here in the US for the purpose of keeping our limited attention on the movie.
This story deals with a serial killer doing his thing, yet it isn't full of gore and splattered brains. In fact it's an excellent flick, in part, due to what you don't see.
See this movie. And use your noodle. Have no expectation, either good or bad, and you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Enjoy!
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