It was great to see this film again, I like it a lot and not just because of the stunning Tom Waits version of the title song, which doesn't appear until the end credits anyway. Ellen Barkin gives just as good a performance as she did in the earlier Siesta and Al Pacino works well with her, if not quite as well as in the charismatic pairing of him and John Goodman, who is on top form. The writing is top notch and with these three actors, the movie just glides effortlessly and we watch entranced with a smile on our face and not a little apprehensive. Never forget with all the steamy sex and joking about there really is a serial killer and Pacino's character seems to be taking enormous risks, because of his understandable infatuation and lusting.

Sea Of Love is one of my favourite romantic thrillers of the 80's. It's perfectly structured, riveting the whole way through, and just as steamy as you'd imagine a pairing between Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin to be. It's so well made that we don't even notice pieces of the puzzle falling into place until the image they make is staring us right in the face and we sheepishly snap out of the sensual trance the film has laid upon us. It's never too grisly, never sappy, but strikes every note in time with the rhythm of both its script and the acting style of the two leads. Pacino is Frank Keller, a police detective pursuing a killer who is choosing their victims based on personal ads placed in the newspaper. This provides a readily made paper trail for him to follow and hopefully find his man, but in the process he must stage a bunch of blind dates that are essentially theatrical stake outs, in attempt to lure his prey into the open. Pacino is always keen and sharp when playing detective roles, but only in this one does the romantic side of his life play just as important of a part as the thrill of the hunt and the crime dynamics, which makes the role unique in his career. Things get complicated when he gets involved in a torrid and unpredictable affair with Helen, a mysterious girl who replies to one of the adds and quickly becomes a prime suspect. Aided by another detective (John Goodman is fantastic as always) from a few precincts over, he tries to race against both time and the spiderweb of danger which is unseen yet slowly winches tighter on everyone involved, as the killer circles them all. Watch fpr suppoetin turns from Michael Rooker, William Hickeyn, Paul Calderon, Richard Jenkins, Larry Joshua, John Spencer and a cery young Samuel L. Jackson who is simply credited as 'black guy", which cracked me up. It's got rocket fuel for pacing and I mean that as a compliment; It's pure cinema from both a genre standpoint and in general. Fairly forgotten these days, but one of the very best to come out of its era.

A man who is starting to feel the pangs of lonely life, late at night he can't stop himself from phoning to an ex-wife that walked out on him. A series of crimes around the city where men turn up dead, lonely men seeking women late at night. He investigates, by posing as one of them, until he meets her.The middle portion revolves around these two selves in him trying to decide on the narrative; the lonely guy who's finally found her versus the cop whose job is to suspect her, even if that means she's the killer that he has to bring in. He settles for the latter, until a horrible version of himself is spat out by the story in the end, a man broken after his wife walked out on him. He gets to wrestle this uglier side of himself and come out on the other end for her purged of demons.That's all fine but it labors itself by trying to be one of those "character studies" that Methodist actors seem to gravitate to, Pacino here. A lot of them were being made in the 70s but they carried on, minus the young passion. So a lot of protracted scenes between characters, the thought is that just by seeing them together in scenes, we get "life". We don't of course, we get scenes. It's all a bit like Pacino's acting; aimless lumbering with the occasional bug-eyed frisson, but never amounts to more than pacing through motions. There are a few moments that suggest deeper undercurrents - the slumped look on the middle-aged blonde's face as she walks out the restaurant with a defeated soul - how Elen eerily manifests out of a dark hallway - and my favorite moment, the poem his father recites about someone who is living alone in the woods. It's so good, the poem and timing of delivery, it surpasses the whole film.Noir Meter: 1/4

When the ducks all line up and they start the quacking, it is worthy to take note of the event. That is this movie. Good acting, filming, directing and scenes plus a decent story take us on a nice entertainment tour of quality viewing. Pacino plays a good cop role, making us believe he is a cop but then again, he enjoys his work. His job is to convince you of everything that is happening is real and he does that quite well. So does his co-star too. Interesting to be in on a police sting operation and watch how anyone can be set-up, recorded and if guilty, get themselves in hot water too. Of course today, people are recording and filming everyone everywhere and without their knowledge. This is a movie that you will watch again so invest in it to own. Recommend a tasty snack and drink and pay attention because it is worth it. No cell phones, texting or bathroom runs. Sit still and watch