Stakeout

The 1980s were a lot of things, but as far as sub-genres in movies, I can't think of a bigger one from the decade than the buddy cop movie. We've got Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Running Scared and probably plenty more I'm missing. Well, we can add one more to that list, 1987's Stakeout.

Deeply into a long-running investigation, Seattle detectives Chris Lecce (Richard Dreyfuss) and Bill Reimer (Emilio Estevez) are reassigned to a case assigned by the F.B.I. A convicted killer of a federal agent, Stick Montgomery (Aidan Quinn) has escaped from prison, but there are few clues as to where he would head. Their solution is simple; set up stakeouts anywhere they think Montgomery might show up at. Chris and Bill -- along with another detective duo -- draw some of that stakeout duty, setting up an apartment observation post across the street from Stick's ex-girlfriend, Maria (Madeleine Stowe). The detectives brace for hours and days of mind-numbing duty...until they actually set eyes on Maria. That is trouble on one level, but what about when a lovelorn Chris falls madly in love with the woman they're observing. Uh-oh, here we go.

Like a good, old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich, there is something comforting about a buddy cop movie done correctly. From director John Badham, 'Stakeout' in its best moments follows that precise if familiar formula. That formula isn't exclusive to the cop angle, but it doesn't hurt either (think Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Put two like-minded men together, opposites or as similar individuals, who have worked together for an extended time, and let the hijinks begin! The partner relationship, like two close brothers, feels natural and real. The duo are friends -- maybe even best friends -- but they're always busting each other's chops, always ready to knock them down a peg, but when it comes down to it, they're always going to be there for each other.

'Stakeout' isn't a perfect movie, and as far as buddy cop flicks go, it's average, paling in comparison to the other ones listed above. When it does work though, it works because of that dynamic between Dreyfuss and Estevez. I was somewhat surprised by the casting, but it works. They play ridiculously well off each other, reflecting a partnership that goes back quite a few years. So go figure, the familiar cop partnership is the best part of this movie. I loved the bitching back and forth on stakeout, the bickering in the precinct, the jabbing back and forth at...every...given...moment. It works, simple as that. I won't go as far as saying it's the "science of stakeout," but it is fun to see the actual stakeout develop. The on-going rivalry between Chris and Bill and rival detective duo Dan Lauria and Forest Whitaker provides some very funny moments as the two pairs switch shifts, an escalating prank war going back and forth between the two. It's good stuff.

So it didn't take a nuclear physicist to figure out what the story was here. Two cops on stakeout, one falls in love with the woman they're observing. I can say I was surprised by how this developed. For one, I didn't think -- SPOILER WARNING STOP READING SPOILER -- that it would be Dreyfuss's Chris falling for Stowe's Maria instead of Estevez's Bill. Two, I didn't think it would work, but Dreyfuss and Stowe have a surprisingly strong chemistry. It's not their fault, just how their storyline develops. In a case of mistaken identity that Bill does nothing to correct, even promoting it, Maria starting to develop feelings right back at him. It gets to be a little much, disappointing because for the most part I enjoyed this one.

As the story focuses more on the surprising crush/love develops, Estevez gets left in the background unfortunately, but he makes the most of his screentime, especially with the escalating prank war. Stowe is quite the looker and holds her own in an otherwise all-male cast. Quinn too makes the most of his sinister appearance as Stick, drifting in and out of the story with his accomplice and cousin (Ian Tracey). In the final act, things get back to basics with the buddy cop angle as Quinn's Stick arrives on the scene in Seattle. The showdown in the end has all sorts of crazy shenanigans and mistaken identity, and oh yeah, wood chippers, shootouts and lots of random punching and fighting. It's a good movie, just not a great one. Give me a couple months and maybe I'll check out the rather unnecessary sounding sequel, 1993's Another Stakeout. No promises though so don't hold your breath.

Stakeout (1987): ** 1/2 /****

Unknown

Here we are again....amnesia. Okay, at least partial amnesia. I didn't really care for 2011's Unknown, but because Liam Neeson and some other typically reliable (and cool) co-stars were in it I stuck with it. I kept waiting for it to get better, and it didn't. Maybe I'm missing something. The reviews I'm reading seem to be from a different movie.

Traveling with his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones), to Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) is prepping for a biotechnology summit. Going back to the airport to pick up a left-behind briefcase via taxi, Harris is in a horrific accident and is only saved by the driver (Diane Kruger). He wakes up some four days later though in a hospital with a serious head injury. Freaking out that his wife must be terrified at his disappearance, Harris heads back to the hotel, but Elizabeth doesn't even recognize him. She's with a different man (Aidan Quinn) who claims to be Dr. Martin Harris. Security forcibly removes Harris, leaving the good doctor to question what the hell is going on?

Because I'm struggling coming up with a transition here, the Wikipedia (yes!) entry lists this 2011 flick as a psychological thriller, and I'm thinking....yeah, I guess so. It seems like my 2012 Phrase of the Year, but like so many failures, there's a ton of potential here. Okay, maybe not a ton, but certainly some. Amnesia in thrillers is nothing new -- cough Bourne movies cough -- but when everything around you that you know just isn't right, that's an unsettling feel to watch. Your wife doesn't recognize you?  She's now with a different man claiming to be you? That's a great jumping off point.

Unfortunately that Twilight Zone feel to the story is undone by a couple different things. The biggest obviously is the execution. At one point, Neeson and Quinn are yelling the same conversation at a man to prove they each have talked to him before. Literally, word....for...word in unison in an angry, pissed off tone. I'm assuming it was a scene meant to be dramatic, but it got a laugh out of me. And that's the problem. The developing story is overdone. Neeson is running around Berlin yelling "I'm Dr. Martin Harris!" in seemingly every scene. That uncomfortable feeling becomes unintentional comedy.

The only reason I won't completely torch this film from director Jaume Collet-Serra is the cast. Even in schlock like this, they're still worthwhile. Liam Neeson is Liam Neeson. Even when the drama is overplayed, he's still fun to watch. Kruger makes the most of a part similar to her role in National Treasure 1 and 2. She's unknowing female sidekick, the pretty lady dragged along with our hero because he needs someone to talk to. Aw shucks, that January Jones sure is purty, but she just isn't a good actress. Quinn is okay in a pretty generic part. Bruno Ganz is a real bright spot as Jurgen, a former investigator Neeson's Harris uses to look for answers. Frank Langella is here too, but it's such an obvious, telegraphed part. When Frank bleeping Langella shows up 75 minutes into a movie, it's not because he's a Good Guy. That takes away some of the fun, although Langella at 74 is still all sorts of creepy and cool.

As things continue to unravel, I was hoping the big twist, the huge revelation would at least partially save the movie. Eh, not so much. When it comes along, it works in the moment, but that's all. Once you start to think about it, the whole story goes to hell. It's the type of twist that relies on far too much coincidence. At any number of given points, all it would take is one character saying one sentence to Neeson's Harris, and everything is settled. The problem? Then we have a 45-minute long movie. Movies held together like that -- because a scene NEEDS to happen -- come across as lazy to me. Steer clear, even if Liam Neeson is cooler than you.

Unknown <---trailer (2011): * 1/2 /****

The Assignment

An international terrorist who took countless lives and wounded that many more during his infamous career, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez earned a nickname over the years. He was simply dubbed Carlos the Jackal. His name became synonymous with fear and terror, and his terrorist actions have become a part of pop culture lore, including 1997's The Assignment, a generally forgotten but very well done thriller.

Having searched and tracked for terrorist Carlos the Jackal (Aidan Quinn), longtime CIA agent Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) has become obsessed with bringing the fugitive to justice. For him, it's even become personal after a chance encounter with the man. Jack concocts a plan though when he meets Annibal Ramirez (also played by Quinn), a U.S. Naval officer, who is a dead-on physical lookalike for Carlos. With help from a Mossad agent, Amos (Ben Kingsley), with similar intentions, Jack goes about convincing Annibal to help take out Carlos. They start at the bottom though, teaching him everything they can so he's ready. Their training is too good though. As he prepares to help set up an ambush of the real Carlos, Annibal realizes he has become everything he hates about the man he's supposed to kill.

Here's another case of some movie detective work paying off in the end. First released in 1997, 'Assignment' did little to no business in theaters and never gained much of a following. From director Christian Duguay though, it certainly deserves better recognition than its got since then. I'd never stumbled upon it, heard it mentioned, absolutely nothing over the years, and with the cast involved, there should have been some mention -- box office struggles or not. Where the movie succeeds is its brutal honesty (to me at least) in its portrayal of some all-around nasty characters. It's a dog-eat-dog world where some innocent lives are expendable if the end result is valuable enough. Dark, brutal, cynical and never pulling a punch, this is a criminally underrated flick.

Much of that brutality and cynicism comes from Irish actor Aidan Quinn. An immensely talented actor, Quinn nonetheless just hasn't appeared in many big, mainstream feature films so it's always good to see him. His dual role is both good and bad. In general, he doesn't seem like an obvious choice to play a Naval officer with Cuban blood, physically at least. His Carlos part -- limited though it is -- comes across as stereotypically cartoonish. It made me think of Tony Montana; heavy accent, hot-headed, callously ruthless. Thankfully, much of the story's focus is on his lookalike counter. The Carlos character is a means to the end and simply gets the ball rolling.

Where Quinn especially stands out is his portrayal of Annibal Ramirez, the Naval officer with a beautiful wife, Maura (Claudia Ferri), and family thrust into this most unlikely, dangerous and even suicidal mission for his country's best interest. To say the least, it is an intense, uncomfortable performance. We see a strong-willed man crumble in front of us and then build himself back up into a completely different person. Quinn does a great job as Annibal as he we see his demons and anguish rip him apart. Sutherland as the driven, even obsessed Shaw has a sinister edge that keeps you guessing. Just how far is he willing to go to get the job done? In a smaller part (read: underused), Kingsley is a scene-stealer as Amos, the Mossad agent with a human side who bonds with Annibal and his trials and tribulations. Three very well done and above average performances from three actors who dominate the screen throughout.

Certain scenes especially stand out from the rest here. Shaw and Amos' brutal training sessions put a twist on the same old, same old training montage sequence. Once Annibal's mission is put into play, the pace ratchets up with one extended chase sequence (on foot and by car) setting the bar high in terms of action. The finale too is especially memorable, and with a well-hidden twist or two waiting. Filmed in Canada, Israel and Hungary, 'Assignment' does have a low-budget look at times with some pretty cheap CGI at other times, but in the end, the personal, human element makes a better, far more positive effect than any negatives. Well worth a watch. Highly recommended.

The Assignment <---trailer (1997): ***/****