Sea of Love (1989) Universal/Suspense-Thriller RT: 113 minutes Rated R (language, violence, nudity, sexual content, alcohol abuse) Director: Harold Becker Screenplay: Richard Price Music: Trevor Jones Cinematography: Ronnie Taylor Release date: September 15, 1989 (US) Cast: Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, Michael Rooker, William Hickey, Richard Jenkins, John Spencer, Paul Calderon, Gene Canfield, Larry Joshua, Christine Estabrook, Samuel L. Jackson. Box Office: $58.5M (US)/$110.9M (World)
Rating: ***
After the dismal failure of the Revolutionary War drama Revolution (1985), Al Pacino took a four-year hiatus and came back strong with Sea of Love, an engaging crime thriller in which he plays a Manhattan cop investigating a serial killer who finds victims through singles ads. But it’s not really about that. It’s more about the relationship that develops between Pacino’s character and the mysterious woman he encounters during the course of his investigation.
The woman Helen, played by Ellen Barkin (The Big Easy), just happens to be the primary suspect in the murders of three men. Anyone in their right mind would steer clear of this potentially dangerous woman, but movies like Sea of Love depend on characters displaying poor judgment at every twist and turn. As evidence, I give you Glenn Close in Jagged Edge and Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction. So it is that Pacino becomes sexually involved with her.
Now she might or might not be a killer, but his psyche is quite conceivably as damaged as hers. He has a mountain of personal issues that appear to be clouding his judgment. It’s possible that she’s playing on that. Therein lies the real tension that underscores Sea of Love. And therein also lies the movie’s chief flaw. It’s usually a given that the more the clues points towards a particular character, the less likely they’re the culprit. Let’s just say that Sea of Love doesn’t stray too far from convention.
Unlike most middle-aged cops, Frank Keller (Pacino) isn’t burnt-out. He can still do his job and is quite good at it, but his constant drinking causes him to think a bit slower. Also, he’s just reached a milestone in his career- i.e. 20 years on the job- meaning that the question of retirement has begun to come up. He’s also bitter over the situation with his ex-wife who was supposed to be played by Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas) until her scenes were eliminated from the final cut. She left him to marry one of his colleagues (Jenkins, The Witches of Eastwick) which whom he’s partnered at the scene of the first murder.
A naked man has been found lying face down on his bed shot through the back of the head. Frank finds a few clues (lipstick-stained cigarette butts, fingerprints), but it isn’t until Queens detective Sherman Touhey (Goodman, Roseanne) describes a similar case that he realizes they’re dealing with a serial killer. Both victims placed rhyming ads in the lonely hearts column in the newspaper. When a third victim dies, Frank and Sherman set up a sting operation to nab the killer. They place their own ad and Frank meets with the respondents at a local restaurant. Helen Cruger (Barkin) catches his interest right away. She’s aggressive and right to the point about not being interested in Frank. She leaves without touching her wine glass meaning they have no fingerprints to go on.
Frank bumps into Helen again and winds up taking her back to his place. They begin a romance even though it could potentially prove fatal to Frank. Characterizing their relationship as complicated would be a vast understatement. They have really hot (and rough) sex together, but she’s not inclined to answer questions about herself.
Pacino delivers one of his more credible performances as Frank Keller, a very believable character amidst the contrivances of the plot. Barkin is the human version of a tiger, a fact made evident by her fearless performance in Sea of Love. The way she circles Frank before they get to it is like watching a predator stalk its prey. I’ve heard Barkin described as sex personified and I can definitely see it here. Goodman does a fine job as the partner/friend that stands by helplessly as Frank makes one bad decision after another.
The screenplay by Richard Price (The Color of Money) stays within the boundaries of the thriller genre. It’s fairly ordinary and routine as far as storyline goes. And when the identity of the killer is finally revealed, it’s not so much a shock as it is arbitrary. The fun in watching a murder mystery is trying to pinpoint the culprit and director Harold Becker (The Onion Field) doesn’t play fair in this respect. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say that Sea of Love corners the market on red herrings. What elevates it is the palpable chemistry between Pacino and Barkin. The trajectory of their ill-advised relationship provides a lifeline that keeps the storyline afloat. It’s a stylishly-made thriller in terms of production design and score. Sea of Love will hold your interest throughout. It’s compelling enough even though the outcome is a near-certainty.
