Post subject: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:34 pm
Epitome of cool
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
In the Line of Fire (1993): Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Clint Eastwood plays Frank Horrigan, a Secret Service agent who ran alongside JFK's car on November 22, 1963, and blames himself for not taking the bullet that would have saved the President's life. Thirty years later, he's a sad, lonely, bitter man who spends his quiet evenings playing melancholy tunes on his piano. But out of nowhere, he starts receiving phone calls from Mitch Leary (John Malkovich), who informs Horrigan that he's going to kill the current President and challenges him to rectify his mistake from thirty years ago. What ensues is an exciting psychological thriller that pits Horrigan and Leary in a cat-and-mouse game that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.
Don't believe me? Leave your inhibitions behind and check out In the Line of Fire. Based on my above description, you're probably thinking that the plot couldn't be more far-fetched and has absolutely no basis in reality or even logic. Simply put, you'd be 100% right. But whereas there are some movies that reek of self-importance and are created just to make you think, Line of Fire was created solely to entertain. Yet that doesn't mean it's merely dumb entertainment for entertainment's sake. Both good guy Horrigan and bad guy Leary are real, complex characters, and both lead actors chew the lines of a very good script and spit them out with authenticity and authority. The greatest compliment I can pay the film is that some of the phone conversations between Horrigan and Leary are as exciting as the action scenes, which are extremely well done. In the Line of Fire is the product of an action movie with a good script: implausible and imperfect, but it sucks you in and does't let go.
Extra-special props here to both Eastwood (coming off the movie Unforgiven just the year before) and especially Malkovich, who owns his role as the psychopathic, intelligent and clever would-be assassin. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in '93 for this role, and lost to Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) in an absolutely stacked competition. You feel his presence in every scene, even when he's not there, which is the mark of a great movie villain. In the Line of Fire is not your typical action movie, and is severely underrated for what it is. If you're a fan of character-driven high-concept plots (which are admittedly few and far between), this movie was custom-made for you. Check it out.
Post subject: Re: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:36 pm
Supersonic
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:59 pm Posts: 14656
great choice of scenes there Frankie really shows the complexity of Malkovich's character. you can't just write him off as another run of the mill psychopath. he is just fascinating to watch!
let's not forget that they even try to weave a bit of a love story into this tangled psychological thriller..although when i look at rene russo and clint eastwood together, i wonder how much i'm really expected to believe here.
Post subject: Re: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:50 pm
Unthought Known
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 6:08 pm Posts: 8255
"Leary's what we'd call a Wetboy."
Always liked this movie...I always seem to catch it just as Malkovich has his encounter with the woman in the bank and I always end up feeling bad for her.
My second favorite movie about the secret service behind To Live and Die in LA.
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Post subject: Re: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:20 pm
Epitome of cool
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
By the way, starting next Monday, the following 5 weeks of movies will be of the horror genre, in honor of Halloween month. Only a couple of films are set in stone, so if you have one from the genre that you'd like to see, feel free to make any suggestions here. Try not to suggest anything obscure, for the point of this thread is for people to talk about what they liked and disliked about a certain movie. That's kinda tough if only 2 people saw it.
_________________ It's always the fallen ones who think they're always gonna save me.
Post subject: Re: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:04 pm
Former PJ Drummer
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 1:32 am Posts: 17563
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
By the way, starting next Monday, the following 5 weeks of movies will be of the horror genre, in honor of Halloween month. Only a couple of films are set in stone, so if you have one from the genre that you'd like to see, feel free to make any suggestions here. Try not to suggest anything obscure, for the point of this thread is for people to talk about what they liked and disliked about a certain movie. That's kinda tough if only 2 people saw it.
Everyone has seen Let's Scare Jessica To Death, right?
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Post subject: Re: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:44 pm
Supersonic
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:59 pm Posts: 14656
bart d. wrote:
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
By the way, starting next Monday, the following 5 weeks of movies will be of the horror genre, in honor of Halloween month. Only a couple of films are set in stone, so if you have one from the genre that you'd like to see, feel free to make any suggestions here. Try not to suggest anything obscure, for the point of this thread is for people to talk about what they liked and disliked about a certain movie. That's kinda tough if only 2 people saw it.
Everyone has seen Let's Scare Jessica To Death, right?
Post subject: Re: Movie of the Week #41: In the Line of Fire
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:07 pm
Former PJ Drummer
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2005 1:32 am Posts: 17563
Theresa wrote:
bart d. wrote:
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
By the way, starting next Monday, the following 5 weeks of movies will be of the horror genre, in honor of Halloween month. Only a couple of films are set in stone, so if you have one from the genre that you'd like to see, feel free to make any suggestions here. Try not to suggest anything obscure, for the point of this thread is for people to talk about what they liked and disliked about a certain movie. That's kinda tough if only 2 people saw it.
Everyone has seen Let's Scare Jessica To Death, right?
i thought i was the only one!
That makes two of us.
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really shows the complexity of Malkovich's character. you can't just write him off as another run of the mill psychopath. he is just fascinating to watch!
i thought i was the only one!