Continuing my plan to watch every Clint Eastwood movie in order, I come to In The Line Of Fire (1993)Plot In A Paragraph: Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan (Eastwood) couldn't save Kennedy, but he's determined not to let a clever assassin (John Malcovic) take out this president.In my my review of The Rookie, I said there was nothing new to see, and In The Line of Fire has a story similar to many of Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies, in which a psycho killer plays games with the cop, who is ordered off the case and then continues to investigate it anyway, regardless of what his superiors say, and he is helped by a loyal partner. The movie even supplies Clint with two partners.However, despite the routine plot, In The Line Of Fire is not a rehash or retread of something we have seen before and it's not predictable (OK some of it is) what it is, is a tight, tense, well acted, well directed thriller, and whilst most action/thrillers these days are about stunts and action. In Tue Line Of Fire has a brain, and it sits in my Top 10 Eastwood movies. In my review of The Rookie, I also said a movie is only as good as their villains, and In the Line of Fire has a great one in John Malkovic, who was deservedly nominated for an Oscar. The one aspect of the movie I didn't like was the love story between Cline (62) and Rene Russo (39) it was totally unbelievable and out of place. Clint was on a roll as In The Line Of Fire became Clint's biggest grossing movie to date, grossing $102 million dollars at the domestic box office to end the year as the 7th highest grossing movie of 1993. It was Clint's first in the Top 10 grossing movies of the year in a decade. It would sadly be the last time (to date) that a movie starring Clint made the Top 10.

The teaming up of Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich was the idea of, what can I say, a mad genius! The two along side each other convey a bitter and chilling relationship that keeps you in suspense all throughout the movie. Though I must say Malkovich, as always conveys the most noticeable character and achieves it well as the sick and twisted but clever assassin Mitch Leary, who attempts to ruin the life of the American President's bodyguard - Frank Horrigan (Eastwood). Horrigan is determined to protect the President's life no matter what - even if it means being In The Line of Fire for him, because of his fail at protecting John F. Kennedy's life thirty years before hand. With the odd funny moment and sparks of romance this film is great entertainment for those who like fast, hot action.The movie was very intense and a great cat and mouse game between Eastwood and Malkovich ensues, as the villain taunts our hero Horrigan, of mistakes made in the past. A great supporting cast, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, John Mahoney. I really thought the performance by Malkovich richly deserved the best supporting actor for his role as Mitch Leary.. but alas. The script is slightly cheesy with love interests, a last gasp attempt to resolve situations and defying the odds. Though these elements usually ruin pictures, the direction and performances are enough to save the film. The action sequences are well thought out, particularly the roof top chase and the scene in the lift. The fact this film doesn't overdo the action is an added bonus and is kept solid and consistent through Peterson's direction. If you are not a political person then there is no fear as this is none educational, more of an action and dramatic styled refection on past politics. This is a shame however as this could have stepped up the ante of the plot and driven the film on a serious everyday issue but instead was used to build on Frank's personality, his lack of belief in himself, which ultimately leads to a fairly awful and cringing saving ending.Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood), a veteran US secret service agent, has never recovered from that fateful day (22 November 1963) when President John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald at his watch. Blaming himself for not reacting sooner and taking the fateful bullet, Horrigan became occasionally brooding and turned to liquor, actions that drove away his wife and daughter. He stayed in the bureaucracy though and requests an assignment to protect the latest president thirty years after the Catastrophe in Dallas. Now in his early sixties, the grizzled and intense Horrigan questions his own decision and forms doubts whether he still has the physical vigor to stand up to the job demands. Secret Service Director Sam Campagna (John Mahoney) backs him and grants his request, but Assistant Director Bill Watts (Gary Cole), although reluctantly agreeing to the new assignment, is so strongly against Horrigan that he revels in his apparent faux pas (like running out of breath while running alongside the presidential vehicle). Chief of Staff Harry Sargent (Fred Dalton Thompson) is similarly not in Horrigan's corner. The president is facing a very difficult reelection campaign, and Sargent does not want him to look awkwardly or cowardly in the face of potential danger.Mitch Leary (John Malcovitch), a trained operative for the CIA who was laid off, claims he was double-crossed by the US government and wants revenge. What is this loose cannon's plan? He longs to kill the current president (Jim Curley, code name "Traveler"). Calling himself "Booth" (after you know whom) he takes the offensive and continually torments Horrigan on the telephone, explaining exactly what he intends to do. Booth had studied Frank Horrigan for years, and is so clever and conditioned and twisted that he is able to burrow deeply into the latter's mind. A master of disguise, Booth continually toys with Horrigan, recounting parallels in their life experiences. At other times, he creates bummers. For example, consider the scene when President Curley is holding an AFL-CIO rally in Chicago. Booth uses pins to pop display balloons, badgering Horrigan into believing that gunshots are being fired. Horrigan's actions caused disruption and humiliated the president, although the agent did show his self-assurance and quick reaction, and was even willing to take a hit for "Traveler." Now Frank has a partner, Al D'Andrea (Dylan McDermott), and the two of them had undermined a deadly band of Phoenix counterfeiters early in the film. D'Andrea, though, is fated for a different destiny even though for more than two-thirds of the film Horrigan and he tail Leary. The psychopath divulges that he could have killed Horrigan many times but left him alone ("I have allowed you to live so you show me some g**damn respect!"). And at one point the aging Horrigan nearly perishes from a rooftop fall. Now when the denouement eventually arrives, will he have the efficacy to save the president? Malcovitch's acting is always of high quality. He is just so believable as a creep that one almost begins to hate him. Rene Russo may have come late to Hollywood (in her later thirties), but she already had polished acting tools and looks to match. Her role here is Lilly Raines, a capable and strong agent herself who is on presidential protection detail; later she becomes Horrigan's younger lover. Of course the beginning was rocky, especially after Horrigan made several offensive statements. But Raines eventually saw his masculine sensitivity, charm, and his real respect for her, and she shows her own capacity to fall in love.This movie is a nice vehicle for Eastwood, a good actor who easily handles similar roles. Director Wolfgang Petersen created a competent film with a novel idea of a man obsessed with his inability to save a past president from a real, historical assassination. Those pictures and footages (digital effects) of a young Horrigan inserted into actual pictures of Kennedy are believable. Also, the sets are convincing (White House, Air Force One, police escort, rallies). The only drawback may be that the movie runs a few minutes too long. Recommended.

Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) is a no non-sense secret service agent who is stilled haunted by his failure at the Kennedy assassination. He has a young eager partner Al D'Andrea (Dylan McDermott). They investigate Joseph McCrawley as a possible threat to the president. Then Frank gets a call from McCrawley (John Malkovich) who is fixated on him. Agent Bill Watts (Gary Cole) in charge of the presidential detail doesn't want to hear it but agent Lilly Raines (Rene Russo) is interested. Frank gets back on the presidential detail with the help of mentor Sam Campagna (John Mahoney).Despite its two hours running time, director Wolfgang Petersen weaves a tightly wound thriller. Clint Eastwood is the perfect choice for the world wearied expert agent. John Malkovich has a creepy menace to him. Also I love the wooden gun. It's not a complicated story but Eastwood keeps our attention throughout.