Someone to Watch Over Me

Ridley Scott's SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME had the misfortune to come out during a time when FATAL ATTRACTION was going to change the whole look of the psycho-thriller movie. Thus by comparison, this film feels very ponderous and dated. It's a mixed bag of a production, with some decent performances and a nice visual style, but it doesn't really do much we haven't seen before.

It's clear from the outset that Scott is most interested in the dark and brooding cinematography here, because this is a fine-looking movie. The plot, which is about a cop who has to protect a woman who witnessed a mob murder, is less intriguing and indeed rather predictable. Tom Berenger is an acceptable hero and Mimi Rogers is ever-intriguing as the object of his desire, but I can't help but think there's a little too much romance here and not enough thrills. Jerry Orbach props up the supporting cast, as in so many films.

As other reviewers have noted, the story is none too special, quite generic. But even a generic story can be made memorable by good writing, good acting, and good directing; this movie has all three of those. Tom Berenger as the somewhat naive and vulnerable work-class junior detective. Mimi Rogers (who I did not even recognize initially, with the 80's hairstyle), as the upper-class murder witness. And even the supporting cast were all great. Nobody overacted, and no cliches. I credit the director, Ridley Scott, for keeping it low-key and believable.

Someone to Watch Over Me is one of the greatest cop films of the eighties. It will never be fully appreciated nowadays, in which just action scenes, and not story, count. Ridley Scott brings back to the screens all the glamour of the noir films of the forties. Although Platoon is still Tom Berenger's best movie, Someone to Watch Over Me comes in second place. The plot is a little bit predictable, but Ridley Scott does such a great job and adds so much style to the film that we can forget the fails in the story and the cliches. It's about a cop from Brooklin (Berenger) who has to protect the life of a beautiful socialite, witness of a murder. They end up falling in love. The visual aspects of Someone to Watch Over Me - visual is a trademark of all Scott's films - are powerful and impressive, for the first time Scott showed the world of the rich and famous in a way never seen before. Ridley Scott told that he wanted to make Someone to Watch Over Me in the tradition of John Garfield's old noir films, and with the help of director of photography John Poster, his cameras deliver to us a bright, beautiful, sometimes menacing New York. The opening scene of the film, Sting singing Someone to Watch Over Me and the camera showing to all of us the lights of New York is one of the key moments of the movie. Someone to Watch Over Me stands to this day as a nice entertainment, and it certainly is one of the most compelling cop thrillers of the eighties, alongside Sharky's Machine, starred by Burt Reynolds.

How has Tom Berenger slipped out of the view of Hollywood? This man is a real talent, who conveys the confusion and pathos of an untenable situation with passion, conviction and realism.

Scott makes the tension palpable, and the supporting cast is so well rounded that IMHO it makes one of the best ever cinematic experiences. Mimi Rogers puts in a credible performance as a tortured socialite and the thrill of the chase makes for some startling and real scenes which keep you on the edge of your seat. If you want great entertainment without the hugest cerebral challenge (!) this is a fab way to spend an evening.

We've seen the script a hundred times if we've seen it once; happily married cop assigned to stand guard over a beautiful woman, cop falls in love with woman, etc. The difference with this one is that it actually works, even though you know how the story is going to go. Berenger is solid in the lead and Bracco fantastic as the fiery wife, while Rogers is sultry in a very classy way as the other woman. Andreas Katsulas is menacing and scary as Venza, which was perfect for this part. The classical music scores add a perfect touch, and the ending is actually quite thrilling. Something about this one just clicks, making it one of the better films of the genre. 7.5 out of 10.