The Harvest

The Harvest is the very definition of a hidden gem that one stumbles upon while watching late night cable and sits through to the end just because it's such a wickedly nasty little thriller. Erotic and steamy, dangerous, very darkly funny are qualities that all reside within a terrific script that has one kicker of an ending that's quite the chuckle inducing payoff. No one wants to have their organs taken while on vacation in some sketchy South American country, let alone consider the thought of it. Hard luck screenwriter Charlie Pope (an intense Miguel Ferrer in one of his few lead roles) falls right into that unthinkable scenario. He's sent to Mexico by his bad tempered boss Bob Lakin (a sleazy Harvey Fierstein, who REALLY needs to be in more movies), and marinates in the sweatiness trying to get some work done. After a hot and heavy night with a gorgeous local babe (Leilani Sarelle) he wakes up with the mother of all hangovers and is horrified to find that one of his kidneys has been removed. From there it's a stomach churning mad dash to figure out where the smugglers have gone, and evade the, at the same time, because they're coming to try and get his other one and silence him forever as well. It's an uncomfortable little piece of white knuckle trash, but it's made with solid flair and like I said, the script is top shelf stuff. Ferrer is the running man here, trying to keep one step ahead of some very dangerous people, his bountiful acting talent putting us right there with him. Fierstein is always a gravel voiced gem, and gets two penultimate scenes that spin the plot on its cogs, both which will have you laughing uncomfortably. There's also an early career appearance from George Clooney, who is Ferrer's cousin. His credit here, and I'm not even making this up, is 'Lip syncing transvestite'. How's that for a leg up in the industry. Lowbrow, gut churning black comedy mixed with the exotic fish out of water thriller makes for a neat little piece of genre bending, grotesque shocker fun.

So I just saw this and I do say it was really good. Although I don't quite think someone who's just woken up minus a kidney can do all the fights that Charlie did it's really pretty good. It did stray a few times from the good path-it tried to make itself unpredictable and different, and I think it probably would have faired better if they didn't do that. I especially disliked the ending, up until the end I was quite enjoying the movie (if only for Miguel Ferrer being half naked for half the film.) I did think that for being married before the film Miguel and Leilani seemed to lack some passion, Miguel seemed very distracted during the love scenes (the only one that he has any excuse for was the one where he's supposed to be driving at the same time...). The very Dallas-esquire ending definitely messed with the movie and I think it would have most definitely faired better if it simply ended right then and there without continuing on past Charlie adding in the last lines of the script.

Charlie Pope is carrying a very valuable commodity. Is it drugs? Guns? No, it's his kidney. I kid you not! Pope (Miguel Ferrer) is a struggling movie screenwriter who travels to Mexico to use a murder case as the basis for his newest story (why doesn't he just re-write an old classic like everyone else?). His boss back in L.A. is played by Harvey Fierstein, who's out of place here as a foul-mouthed tyrant. Pope meets a gorgeous blonde and, naturally, this coupling can only spell trouble for our hero. He's knocked unconscious. The next thing he knows, he's short one kidney. Black market kidneys are apparently big business in Mexico (actually, the reason for the operation is explained at the end of the movie). Pope spends the rest of the film trying to find out who nicked his organ. Later on, he finds out they plan to take his other kidney. How's this for a promo slogan: They took his kidney...this time it's personal! He also makes out with the aforementioned young lady. The love scenes are typical of this genre, featuring overheated foreplay that leads to lacklustre slo-mo sex. During one scene, Pope fondles his partner while driving a VW Beetle. He struggles to keep his eyes on the road as she stands up through the sunroof and raises her dress. You want to yell at them, "for God's sake, stop the car and get it over with." All in all, "The Harvest" is reasonably well done. The pace never lags, and Ferrer does a good job in the lead role. It's not exactly "The Fugitive", but you could do a lot worse in the action/adventure field.

I saw this on cable, and it impressed me. Hollywood makes tons of boring thrillers, full of gunplay and mindless brutality. What I liked about this movie is that the hero goes through unusual trials to find the people that did him wrong: he doesn't just shoot and interrogate bad guys.

An author goes to Mexico for inspiration. He get seduced, get drugged, and wakes up minus one kidney. He is too obsessed with the woman who wronged him to drop the matter and fly home, however. To find her, he tangles with corrupt cops, endures his weakened state (he has just lost a kidney, after all), faces off with Mexican gangsters, and hikes through the jungle wasted on psychedelic drugs.

Not a bad film as far as these things go. There is also a hot love scene in a moving Volkswagen beetle, but I don't want to spoil that part for you.

'The Harvest' is one of those viewing experiences that gets by largely on mood & atmosphere. It features a bunch of ingredients - interesting theme, damaged characters - that when blended together go down smooth like a refreshing drink. It's the after taste that's off putting.

Charlie Pope (Miguel Ferrer) is a burnt out screenwriter who gets a paid trip to Mexico to try and turn in one final draft of his script he's been churning for two years that will appease the studio and his headache of an agent (Harvey Fierstein). Doing so he finds the original basis for his story is incorrect. More importantly he meets a bunch of characters - particularly Natalie (Leilani Sarelle) - and loses a kidney in the process.

I've watched a lot of movies so when a plot deals with a writer I know enough to see where things might be going. You have to question if what you see & hear is fact or fiction. Add in the usual tropes about foreign countries where you don't speak the language, corruption and holiday romance and you've just summed up 3/4's of this film.

Writer/director David Marconi's 'The Harvest' has two things going for it. Standout acting from Ferrer & a great musical score. Unfortunately as the tagline states "They stole one of his kidneys. Now they've come for the other one" the movie is playing loose & unfair with the rules. It's a fine trip up until that point though.