Customer Reviews

Phoenix

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

RAY LIOTTA is an incredible and intense actor and this movie showcases his talent better that any movie I've seen. And that's saying a lot. I have to say that RAY is one of the most underated actors to have ever graced the Silver Screen. Everyone should see this amazing movie. RAY was cast as the lead character in this film and rightly so. (He was also co-producer.) His 'Harry Collins' as a cop with a gambling problem lets us see a person losing his self-respect but still living by a code of ethics that won't let him welsh on a bet. Right there you know this guy is setting himself up for big trouble, which finds him, in spades (so to speak). Damn, this man can act!! As we watch him resort to ever desperate measures to get out of the mess he's in, you hope against hope that his bad luck will turn. Not helping matters are his cop buddies who even offer to whack his bookie, Chicago, for him! He declines the offer. He's got a better plan. Why not rob Louie, the loan shark instead? Yeah, why not? How do you think it's going to turn out? (For more information on this movie, check out the AllLiotta.com website. Not only is there a review but lots of pictures as well.)

Borrowing heavily from the film noir genre, Danny Cannon adroitly lifts the thematic feel, if not the look, of the best "whodunit" films of the 40's and beyond. Updated with the gritty 90's realism of foul language, "Phoenix" is an exercise in the cruel lesson that morality, or the lack thereof, is measured in small degrees. Our flawed and tragic anti-hero, played by Liotta in what may very well be his best role since his character "Ray" in Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild" (1986), systematically exorcises his "loser" demons and his sole vice, gambling, by obliterating every connection to it in his world by the end of the film. Though ultimately doomed, we find ourselves pathetically rooting for him, because he is a LIKEABLE corrupt cop. Quite an acting an directing accomplishment for all involved. The strong supporting cast includes standout Jeremy Piven, who demonstrates his range by playing the pathetic wimp of the police gang, whose wife effectively ruins his life. Prior to this role, he was in danger of being typecast as the slightly balding, wise-cracking high school buddy. A refreshingly strong storyline against a stark and barren desert background is complimented by equally strong and passionate acting all around. Great entertainment for 2 hours, compared to the drivel Hollywood usually tries to stick us with. A must-see if you appreciate film noir, but don't go see it if you're trying to quit smoking- almost everyone in the film is a hardcore chain smoker.

..although I've seen worse. Liotta is the reason I checked this out. I just saw him in BLOW with Johnie Depp. Great. But this one is a low-budget flick that mostly left me not beleiving in the story or the characters. Cliche stuff that was slapped together quickly for the undiscerning masses. Liotta's a likable actor and his charm is the only saving grace in this movie. I still wouldn't recommend it.

RL is here in a movie not dissimilar to COPLAND, or 1,275 other pretty cool tantalizers for the unfocused mind. Once again, we see fringe law enforcement officers, on edge. A lotta sweat, cussin', fusin, smokin' ciggies... I'm not sure why. Something about befriending loan sharks, and then owing them tens of thousands of dollars. Gotta watch the DVD again.

Liotta is the only good cop, well, professional in the bunch of babies who play practical jokes on one another...one dude not only plays cop, but loan shark collector, and filanderer. Ray can't stand the guy but he gets so mixed up in his own unethical activities that he comes to rely upon him to crack the safe of the baddest man in town...I forget his name...but he runs a strip club-bordello-drug haven when he's not loaning guys 50k $$$.

Almost forgot to say, Ray is obsessed with old TV cartoons and gambling - he finds peace (usually not riches) in his hobbies.

He has a 19-ish girlfriend, the daughter of Angelica Huston. She the bar owner/bar tender who initially is repulsed by Ray and his inappropriate relationship. Soon, she's gaga over him, too. Her part is very undevelopped, unlike her wild kid. The part of the daughter...is highly unecessary. Unless a good part of the audience enjoys feeling their skin crawl during the sexiest poker game ever filmed between a almost middle-aged man and his love kitten. At least *James Mason* was the instigator, not Sue Lyon. But that was about 49 years ago.

A lady truck driver, near the end, philosophizes with RL, when he thumbs a ride. She does not seem nonplussed by this bloodied up gun wielder. She says, Phoenix is ultimately *not* a cool place, despite the heat. But both agree that any Western town is cool, that has a radio station that plays Robert Johnson!

Some very exciting scenes...but the main interest...Ray Liotta. A feast for the man who played Henry Hill.

There's no denying that this film is at least semi-formulaic, but the thing is that the writers and the director know how to USE the formula to the advantage of the viewer. That's the difference. Sure you got your obvious good guys and bad guys, but the acting is solid, the pacing is flawless, the characters are juicy, the plotting is strong, and the camerawork is spot on. So what's not to like?

Ray Liotta reins in his often cynically smirky-nasty persona thing to project the character of Harry Collins, a gambling-addicted cop who actually has feelings. Anthony LaPaglia is the bad cop, Mike Henshaw, and, formulaically, all bad--but very very good at being all bad. The babes are not just one-dimensionally hot, but instead, thanks to the presence of Angelica Huston, have substance and character as well as a tough veneer that hides some tenderness underneath. And yes, that's kinda formulaic too, but she's a world class actress who knows how to do this better than a whole lot of others out there.

Harry's gambiling and Mike's debt to Louie--played to smarmy perfection by Giancarlo Esposito (one of the best character actors acround)--results in the gang of four cops (Liotta, LaPaglia, Jeremy Piven and Daniel Baldwin) engaging in some illegal activity to net a lot of fast cash. But since the illegal activity is commited against a guy who himself does a lot of illegal stuff, it's OK, right?

Well, sort of. The main neo-noir plot convention--that things never turn out the way they're supposed to--is followed but again, it's fun to see how they play out in this punchy little flick.

I liked this a lot. This one you watch. Liotta's other neo-noir, Inferno, starts off great and then totally collapses. So that one you don't. But Phoenix works. Yeah.

This is one of the most original films to come down the pike in quite some time. While initial scenes would appear to borrow from "Reservoir Dogs," "Phoenix" quickly establishes its own tone. The dialogue is great (the King Kong speech itself is worth the price of admission), and the actors have the skill to bring it all off. Liotta is one of the most powerful, charismatic actors working today, and here he finally gets the kind of material that actually gives him a few challenges. "Phoenix" is more than just a well done entry in the noir genre; it's a spectacular, witty film with a great cast and many, many great moments. Liotta forever!

This movie is better than it deserves to be, probably because it has two cool customers in the lead roles (Liotta and LaPaglia). Witty dialogue and shades of Taratino bring this a couple notches above the Direct-to-Video drek.

This 1998 cop flick has no surprises. There's a good cop (Ray Liotta) who has a gambling problem which causes him lots of grief. There's a bad cop (Anthony LaPaglia) who is totally bad. There are gangsters and gamblers and corruption and action. There's a double cross and flying bullets and even a tender moment or two that Ray Liotta has with Anjelica Huston who is supposed to be the mother of seductive underage young woman.The other assorted bad guys fit all the stereotypes.

Ray Liotta might have a gambling problem but underneath we all know he has a good heart. We also sense, from the very first frame, what the plot of this film will be. There's just enough action to keep it from being boring. And of course there are gun battles and blood. But the film is convoluted and trite. That's why I found myself laughing out loud a lot at all the clichés. This is definitely a Grade B or C film that was never supposed to be taken seriously. Once that is understood I find nothing wrong in just watching it for the escape and entertainment. That's one of the reasons I watch films. And that's why I give it a mild recommendation for gangster genre film buffs only.

What happens when all the cops are bad, but in different degrees. Liotta is as corrupt as they come, but he's got a soft spot. Good action, good flick.

I'm so happy I have this in my dvd collection. Ray Liotta is a great actor of our time. We should all appreciate his presence onscreen. Want to watch another incredible performance by Ray: Watch "NARC".