Someone to Watch Over Me

This has been one of my favorite movies. I admit that this is not something that might be recognized by academy people. There is nothing new and original about the story and situation and it is rather easy to guess what would happen next. But somehow it is an attractive movie (to me?) and I keep watching it over and over (I have a video). Actors are good and the view of New York is wonderful in every part of the movie. Most of all music is superb! Ever since I first saw this movie, "Someone to watch over me" has been my favorite jazz standard. One more thing. If somebody else directed this it might have been VERY boring. Great touch by Ridley Scott.

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.

Brooklyn Detective Tom Berenger is assigned to watch over socialite Mimi Rogers after she witnesses a brutal murder where a high profile Mafioso is involved. Berenger gets caught between two worlds; the upper class one he takes a liking to and the normal one (with a wife and kid) in the slums of Queens which he seems to be tiring of.

Highly stylish drama/thriller courtesy of Ridley Scott, who directs with his usual visual flair and examines the world of the wealthy seen through the eyes of a middle class voyeur and mixes in some solid suspense to boot. The drama aspect is well handled, pitting Berenger in a dire situation where he must ultimately choose between a life he's already made for himself and a life that can seem very tempting from his perspective.

Suspense is also plenty with some fantastic sequences, particularly one inside Mimi Rogers' apartment, not too unlike Dario Argento's Opera in some respects (and even beat it by a year, I think).

Tom Berenger does well in the lead, displaying easily the conflicts his character is facing, Rogers is a stunner and gives a subdued and convincing performance. The usually intolerable Lorraine Bracco gives a forceful performance, and one the whole her relationship with Berenger is not only well played out but wholly believable.

Recommended.

Brooklyn detective (Berenger) gets promoted & has new assignment - Keep watch over rich & sultry Manhattanite Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) becuz she witnessed a murder. NEVER pair up 2 good-looking people for night time (or daytime) close association no matter HOW solid one's marriage is!! And why not? Becuz THIS could happen!

'Watch' this film & find out.

Berenger looks fit & handsome as usual, especially back in the '80's. Rogers should have gotten a better hairdo. Larrainne Bracco, a NY favorite of mine, is just great in this role. Jerry Orbach, Berenger's superior is another NY favorite of mine. Tony DiBenedetto (the big burly limo driver from My Favorite Year) was also 'on the watch' & played Berenger's best friend. The most annoying thing about this film is the slow awful tune sung by Sting here! When the credits role in the beginning, we're shown The Big Bad Apple in all it's glory, lit up in the dark like nobody's business! But that song makes you just want to fast-forward!! Arrrgh!! Then he sings it again at the end!! Arrrgh!!

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.