Franticly looking around for a Neo-Noir to watch for a poll that was being held on the Classic Film board for the best movies of 1993,I was disappointed to find that my original choice of Neo-Noir viewing in John Dahl's Red Rock West was being sold at a too expensive price.Not giving up on tracking down a Noir from 93,I was thrilled,when after spending an hour of searching around everywhere online,I finally found a Neo-Noir that seemed to offer all of the dark delights that I had been searching for.The plot:Frustrated over his job being at a standstill and there being a huge gap between his dreams and the money in his wallet,police officer Jack Grimaldi decides to become an informant for a powerful gangster called Don Falcone,with Grimaldi's leaked details to the mob over current police investigations being exchanged for more cash than Jack has ever seen,which leads to Grimaldi deciding that the only safe place where he can safely keep this vast bundle is in a sewer drain,that is based in the back garden of the house which he lives in with his wife,Natalie.Happy over now having enough cash that allows Jack to buy whatever he and Natalie dream of,along with also being able to afford keeping a mistress/girlfriend on the side for the first time ever,Jack accepts Don's new request of helping to "get rid" of a former friend/fellow gangster of Falcone's called Mona Demarkov,who along with currently being held by police,is also being very vocal in saying that she is now bigger and more powerful than Falcone.Planning to get rid of Don's "problem' right away,Jack finds from the moment that his eyes set on Mona,that he becomes tantalised by the alluring sensual powers that she posses,which leads Grimaldi to excitingly suspect that he has finally met a Femme Fatale,who will turn out to be more deadlier than any of the "Julliets" that Grimaldi has spent his life being round.View on the film:Proving that Neo-Noirs do not just come from "a mans world",the fantastic screenplay by Hilary Henkin gives the movie a deliciously Black Comedy scar deep across both its cheeks,with Henkin showing Jack Grimaldi's (played by a wonderfully scrambled Gary Oldman) happiness over feeling the garden drain with a newly discovered flow of cash,slowly transform into an addiction,where the whole meaning of his existence lays in continuing to make his money pit go "deeper" by any means necessary.Working closely with the precise editing of Walter Murch,cinematography Datiusz Wolski and director Peter Medak shoot this terrific Neo-Noir in stylish low angles,which along with showing how "low life" the characters are,also creates a strong subtle atmosphere for the viewer that they are seeing Grimaldi's life slowly sink into the pit,which he has unintentionally dug out for himself.Along with the stylish low angles,Medak and Murch also give the film a surprisingly surreal edge by revealing the unrolling state of mind that Jack finds himself in,from having nightmares in a fairground ride,to seeing every woman that he has gone with aim a gun at him.Featuring not 1,but 3 Femme Fatale dames!,each of the actresses show a determination in making their own pointed-heel mark in being the leading dame of this Neo-Noir,with Annabella Sciorra slowly revealing a real bite as Natalie,whilst Juliette Lewis brilliantly shows Grimaldi's girlfriend/mistress Sheri finding out that she has gotten too close with sinister folk who will now not let Sheri going back to her normal life,and steaming up the screen the moment she arrives,the beautiful Lena Olin mixes a strong,erotic sensual appearance,with a psychotic,demon like laughs that leads Jack to realising how deep in his self created money pit he has sunk.

Legend says that, after seeing this film, Bon Jovi decided not to allow their ballade "Always" to be included in it, even though it was written for the film. It's their loss.Romeo is Bleeding is one of those films you either love or hate; it's energetic, unapologetic and raw. Not subtle at all. It goes between a perfect film noir and a parody of the genre. But the best thing about it is the fact it doesn't take itself too seriously.It is a story of a dirty cop and a mysterious, dangerous woman. Gary Odlman and Lena Olin are perfect in their roles, neatly over the top when situation demands it. They understand what kind of the film they're in, even if we don't get it; but everything fits so well at the end.No, it is not a serious, nostalgic film noir. Nor is a highly sexualized 90s crime drama along the lines of Basic Instinct. It's both, at the same time, and more. Some of the action - or sex - scenes will make you laugh, and at one point you might think what you're watching is pure trash. But somehow, it's part of the charm. Because even with the simple (and, dare to say, predictable) plot, this film manages to be unique and memorable.

The hardest reviews to write are the ones about movies that are impossible to grasp. Some examples are the ultra-subtle dramas like "The Constant Gardener" and "Michael Clayton." Of all the movies that I would predict would be in that category, a movie like "Romeo is Bleeding" would probably be the LEAST likely to be included on that list. It's a full-blown noir film, with interesting characters and a decent story.But to my surprise, I find myself at a loss when trying to find words to write this review. The movie has a great sense of atmosphere, and talented actors (Lena Olin in particular), but the story is a complete mess. It's really hard (if not impossible at times) to figure out what is going on. Hence my troubles.Here is what's clear. Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) is a corrupt cop who plays both sides of the battle between the cops and the mob, run by Don Falcone (Roy Scheider). Trouble starts with Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin), a Russian hitwoman (or so says the IMDb synopsis says) that Falcone wants dead and the cops want alive to bring down Falcone (I think). Grimaldi is caught in the middle, but Mona offers him a solution to play them both and get away with a lot of money.The acting is solid all around. Gary Oldman is solid as Grimaldi. Oldman is not afraid to show a wide spectrum of emotion, and that's what makes him great here. Lena Olin gives promise as a complete psychopath, but strangely Mona isn't as developed as she could be. Still, Olin does what she can with what she has, and Mona is uncannily like Catherine Trammell in "Basic Instinct" (except that when compared to Mona Demarkov, the Sharon Stone character has the viciousness of a housecat). Anabella Sciorra is terrific as Grimaldi's wife, but again, she's not that developed. The only actor that doesn't work is Juliette Lewis as Grimaldi's lover. Lewis seems out of place in this role, but fortunately her character isn't on screen very much."Romeo is Bleeding" has a great noirish atmosphere, complete with the soft jazz soundtrack. It's a throwback to the noir movies of the 40's, even though it's in color (director Peter Medak uses this to his advantage). It would be a great movie if the story had any coherence.

Lena Olin's performance, no matter how cartoon-like, is memorable as the hit woman from hell. The movie itself is vicious, and extremely disjointed. For example, how did Roy Scheider suddenly and without explanation wind up in the trunk of Lena Olin's car? Another problem is Lena's miraculous recovery from severing her arm. A movie should be more than the sum of it's parts, which "Romeo is Bleeding" is not. There must be a story here somewhere, but from my viewpoint, the movie makes little sense. Ultimately it is this uneven and somewhat unbelievable storyline that sucks the film down to levels that are less than acceptable. "Romeo is Bleeding" never adds up. - MERK