Cohen & Tate (1989) Hemdale/Action RT: 86 minutes Rated R (language, violence, child in peril) Director: Eric Red Screenplay: Eric Red Music: Bill Conti Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper Release date: January 27, 1989 (US) Starring: Roy Scheider, Adam Baldwin, Harley Cross, Cooper Huckabee, Suzanne Savoy, Marco Perella, Tom Campitelli, Andrew R. Gill, Frank Bates. Box Office: $64,227 (US)
Rating: ***
Cohen & Tate is an action-thriller that barely received any sort of theatrical release and I think I know why. Who wants to see an actioner about two hitmen taking a child to some Mob bigwigs to find out if he has any incriminating information about their operation? The movie opens with the boy’s parents being murdered and goes on from there. It’s not exactly a feel-good film.
Despite their being in Witness Protection, professional killers Cohen (Scheider, Jaws) and Tate (Baldwin) find and kill the parents of nine-year-old Travis Knight (Cross, The Believers) with relative ease. It must be the corrupt FBI agent that fed them the information. They put the boy in their car and head to Houston to deliver him to their employer. Tate is a cold-hearted psychopath who wants to kill the kid. Cohen, the more experienced of the two, won’t let him. He just wants to complete the assignment and get paid.
On the way, quick-thinking Travis does whatever he can to pit the two hitmen against each other. Not too hard a task considering they’re already at each other’s throats. How to handle their passenger is obviously their main point of contention. Travis, ever the resourceful kid, uses it to his advantage. It’s the only chance he has of surviving this ordeal. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have set up road blocks to capture the hitmen and save Travis. Because Cohen and Tate are professionals, they know how to get around such things.
When a movie bypasses theaters and goes directly to video, it’s usually not a good sign. These movies are typically bad; releasing them theatrically would be a HUGE waste of money. I don’t recall Cohen & Tate ever playing at theaters; I saw it on video in summer ’90. It’s a surprisingly good movie. It’s not anywhere close to a classic, but it has a certain appeal as Travis tries to form a relationship with Cohen. We know that Cohen is incapable of forming any type of meaningful relationship, but he comes to be the boy’s protector, often preventing Tate from killing him.
What’s interesting about Cohen & Tate is that it’s just as much a drama as an action flick and a psychological thriller. Both of the title characters are clearly disturbed. They kill people for a living, hello! As Cohen, the lesser of the evils, Scheider does a fine job. Always one of the most reliable actors in the industry, he has a likable way about him even when he plays villainous characters. He imbues his character with vulnerability. He’s getting older and knows his days are numbered. He probably should have retired a while ago, but this is the only life he’s ever known. Baldwin plays it up as a stone cold psycho, a killing machine without a trace of humanity or compassion. He is pure evil. Cross is pretty good as the package caught between the two assassins. He’s no better or worse than any child star of the time. His character is one crafty little kid. He knows how to play an angle.
Directed by Eric Red (Body Parts), Cohen & Tate does have its share of far-fetched scenes like Travis’ attempted escape at a truck stop. I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll only say that it involves a state trooper and one hell of a lucky shot. It’s moments like this that throw Cohen & Tate off-balance. It’s a markedly uneven movie in both tone and pacing. It’s best not to think of it as an actioner even though it has action elements. Think of it more as a darker version of O. Henry’s The Ransom of Red Chief. Let’s be real here, the notion of taking a child to certain death isn’t anybody’s idea of light-hearted entertainment. Some will find it disturbing. Travis constantly being in danger provides the movie’s suspense. Will they or won’t they kill him?
Although flawed, I like Cohen & Tate very much. I like that Red tries to do something different. It’s compelling, thrilling and even a little bit touching. It deserved better than a DTV release.
