the audience applauded

Just perfect...

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I think this picture is a riveting, great thriller because it delivers everything a taut thriller should, and more, and by that I mean two great performances from Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. The police department are after a serial killer, who apparently uses a dating service to hook up with their next victims, now Pacino's character Detective Frank Keller goes undercover, trying different women to see if any act suspicious or seem guilty, and that's when he meets a lady named Helen, played by Ellen Barkin, the two don't exactly hit it off, but later on they bump into each other and agree to go for a drink, convinced Helen's not the killer, Frank is still looking for the culprit and there's plenty of twists, turns and an extremely impressive plot twist that's fittingly clever.Though one might expect a romantic film, they needn't be worried, the film possesses a couple of scenes where Pacino and Berkin make love or talk with romantic undertones, but it's very effective, entertaining and doesn't drag, Sea of Love is a cat and mouse thriller if you think about it, and can maintain romance, action, humour, drama and sex as well, making it a very accessible picture, and speaking of the erotic style of certain scenes, I must concede Barkin is rather hot and her and Pacino have some nice, believable sex together, and I for one believe there chemistry is most refreshing, I think they work very well together. The supporting cast includes John Goodman as Detective Sherman, Frank's partner, and he is very good here.Sea of Love also has a good sense of humour about itself, impressive direction from Harold Becker, a suspenseful, chilling atmosphere when necessary, good tension and a wickedly brilliant screenplay from Richard Price that also has some really good dialogue too. Overall this is a great film with a satisfying ending, smart plotting and stunning performances from Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin.

A man who is starting to feel the pangs of lonely life, late at night he can't stop himself from phoning to an ex-wife that walked out on him. A series of crimes around the city where men turn up dead, lonely men seeking women late at night. He investigates, by posing as one of them, until he meets her.The middle portion revolves around these two selves in him trying to decide on the narrative; the lonely guy who's finally found her versus the cop whose job is to suspect her, even if that means she's the killer that he has to bring in. He settles for the latter, until a horrible version of himself is spat out by the story in the end, a man broken after his wife walked out on him. He gets to wrestle this uglier side of himself and come out on the other end for her purged of demons.That's all fine but it labors itself by trying to be one of those "character studies" that Methodist actors seem to gravitate to, Pacino here. A lot of them were being made in the 70s but they carried on, minus the young passion. So a lot of protracted scenes between characters, the thought is that just by seeing them together in scenes, we get "life". We don't of course, we get scenes. It's all a bit like Pacino's acting; aimless lumbering with the occasional bug-eyed frisson, but never amounts to more than pacing through motions. There are a few moments that suggest deeper undercurrents - the slumped look on the middle-aged blonde's face as she walks out the restaurant with a defeated soul - how Elen eerily manifests out of a dark hallway - and my favorite moment, the poem his father recites about someone who is living alone in the woods. It's so good, the poem and timing of delivery, it surpasses the whole film.Noir Meter: 1/4

Manhattan police Det. Frank Keller (Al Pacino) is a 20 year veteran. He's not happy that his partner Gruber (Richard Jenkins) is married to his ex-wife. They investigate the murder of a ladies man. There is a record of "Sea of Love" playing in the room. Terry (Michael Rooker) is a cable guy who was at the building. Det. Sherman (John Goodman) from Queens is investigating a similar murder. The victims placed singles ads and Frank suggests catching the assumed female killer with an ad of their own. Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) is one of the woman who answers the ad but Frank is unable to get her fingerprint.I never bought into Frank's theory on the crime. Therefore, I never really considered Helen as a suspect. It makes the whole dance less compelling. Pacino is doing some broad acting. A pairing of Pacino and Barkin should be something incredible but this feels very artificial.

What a great little "comeback" for Pacino. He had not done a movie in four years! (1985's Revolution)I had seen that "Revolution" and it was bad beyond belief. But here in this one, Al finds redemption.His character doesn't really evoke a hero, because he is a cop who drinks and just goes thru the motions since he is on a 20 years on the force and planning to retire. He is somewhat of a washed-up drunk and you really can't feel sorry for him and no wonder his wife (a deleted Lorraine Bracco) left him for a more stable man(Richard Jenkins) a fellow cop that works at the same station Pacino does. But there in lies the magnificent performance of this fine actor of Pacino as he is. He makes you despise the guy but at the same time root for him to catch the killer.Ellen Barkin just oozes sexiness like never before seen in her performances. She stole the movie for me. She was just that great and real. She and Pacino had great chemistry. To bad they didn't work together more. It would be close to 20 years when they would work together again in the same film.John Goodman as a fellow cop and sidekick of Pacino was just excellent. They both had a real chemistry. Too bad they didn't do way more work together.Michael Rooker as always plays a very good mean, racist and not to friendly guy. They cast him because of his performance in "Henry:the Portrait of a Serial Killer" William Hickey had a great cameo as Al's dad. He has a great line in which he recites a poem his wife, Al's mom, wrote for him. Al uses that same poem and it attracts the woman on the dating service.John Spencer had but a small role and all he did was basically smile at Al's requests and small talk. Christine Estabrook had a nice small role as a innocent girl looking for love on the dating site and being used in more ways than one. Still looking beautiful at her age and at the time, Patricia Barry had a also a small but sad part as a older woman still looking for love. Luis Antonio Ramos, Samuel L. Jackson and Damien Leake all had bit small parts and were memorable in a scene where they are being busted at a sting operation. Leake was spared because Pacino let him go when Leake brought his little son and Pacino didn't have in his heart to bust him at the moment but will later. Tom Wagner has a nice little bit as ,once again, a bartender. And Angel Ramirez has a uncredited bit part but it wasted in the scene.All in all a nice little sexy thriller but very predictable film. But still worth watching for the nice cast involved.