Someone to Watch Over Me | | Cast : | Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers | | Director : | Ridley Scott | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | October 09, 1987 | | DVD Released Date : | June 01, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Thai (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | February 27, 2005 | | Summary | Murder and Passion in the Big Apple | Content
 | This review refers to "Someone To Watch Over Me"(VHS Columbia)...
No matter how often I view this thriller, I still get caught up in the suspense, the thrills and the romance. Director Ridley Scott does an excellent job of pulling us into the lives of the characters, and like in a good Hitchcock flick, has us wanting to warn them of impending danger.
New York City is the setting. On one side of town, in Queens, a party is going on at the modest home of newly promoted Detective, Mike Keegan. It's a close knit group of cops and their wives having a great time. Meanwhile in uptown Manhattan, another party is going on in a very upscale apartment, attended by the rich and "beautiful people". One of the guests is the lovely Claire Gregory. Claire is invited to view some artwork on a lower level of the building, and it is there she witnesses the brutal murder of her friend. The murderer spots her and now her very life is in danger.
Keegan has his first assignment...babysit the witness until the perp is hauled in and identified. But Joey Venza, the killer, is ruthless and is not going to let a few cops get in the way of his plans for Miss Gregory. The film provides many heartstopping moments of thrills and suspense as he goes after her. The film is more than just a thriller though, and as the song goes, like 'lost lambs', family man Mike and Claire find passion and comfort in each other's arms. The film becomes a complex but tight story of murder and passion, that will have you immersed from the first frame to the last.
The cast are all excellent. Tom Berenger is Keegan, torn between his family and his feelings for Claire, while still protecting her from harm. The role of Claire, is tailor made for the beautiful Mimi Rogers as she just exudes class. Lorraine Bracco packs a punch(literally) as Keegan's wife. Jerry Orbach is of course the perfect choice to play "the whip", Keegan's superior, John Rubinstein is Claire's stodgy boyfriend and Andreas Katsulas(the one armed murderer in "The Fugitve"), will scare you out of your wits as Joey Venza, "the perp".
An excellent soundtrack, that flows right along with the story, will treat you to some haunting Opera music, and 3 different renditions of "Someone To Watch Over Me", including one by Roberta Flack over the closing credits. The cinematography is also a wonderful plus for this film and includes some great views of the New York Skyline, and one fabulous shot of the WTC, as Berenger and Bracco are lunching in the city.
Five stars for a film that has not lost any of it's appeal since it's release in 1987. A great thriller to add to your library. One that will stand up to repeated heartpumping viewings.
Get the popcorn ready and enjoy.....Laurie |
| Rating | | | Date | February 13, 2005 | | Summary | Not an Oscar winner, but worth watching | Content
| All right, this is a bit of a difficult film to review, because while I enjoyed it, I can't decide whether I would actually want to be bothered to watch it again -- and that usually defines a great movie, for me. But I'll do my best and we'll see where we go.
To sum up the plot, Tom Berenger plays Mike, a happily married (sexy) police detective who's hired to protect Claire (Mimi Rogers), a rich woman who's witnessed a murder. Predictably, perhaps, Claire and Mike fall in love, and as Mike's marriage begins to fall apart, the murderer steps up his pursuit of Claire in an attempt to find and destroy her...
Okay, okay, so it's a bit of an average plot, from the sounds of it. But the complexity of the storyline and the decent character developments kept me watching. I actually disliked all the of the performances of the principal actors, but they were probably the only actors for the parts and for each other in this movie. I like how Mimi Rogers's character likes opera, it gives her this artsy, deep dynamic, but all in all, I wasn't that convinced that her character actually develops beyond "learning not to fall in love with bodyguards." The same goes for the others. It's like the plot moves along, but the characters don't quite go with it.
Nonetheless! The actors aren't HORRIBLE, the plot is decent, and Tom Berenger is one hot bodyguard. Mimi Rogers DOES get the helpless victim act across well, and the set, costumes, etc. are terrific. The suspense is suspenseful. The movie will keep you interested.
One of the other reviewers of this movie wrote that 'Someone to Watch Over Me' is a good date movie. It is. It's definitely worth watching, if you're on a stay-in date, or just in need of a decent movie to kill time, and after watching it you'll feel that the two hours wasn't wasted. It's worth the $20 or so for the DVD if you like '80s movies; otherwise it's a rental, but a worthwhile one. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 10, 2004 | | Summary | one of the classiest thrillers ever made | Content
| This movie is fantastic. Mimi Rogers plays a wealthy socialate
who witnesses a murder. The killer is after her. Tom Berenger
plays a detective who along with two other detectives are assigned to protect her. He takes the night shift. He is married and has a son. He is impressed by Mimi Rogers upper
class lifestyle, her beautiful apartment, classical music, she
is a very classy lady. I must say Mimi Rogers was perfect for
the part she is beautiful and carries herself so gracefully.
Tom Berenger is a blue collar detective. The two actors have
excellent chemistry. Tom Berenger is married. A romance begins
with Tom Berenger and Mimi Rogers. The killer is released on
a mistake which was made for his arrest. He is crazy and goes
after Mimi Rogers. This movie has a look about it like a 1940's
movie. The sets are amazing and the locations are breathtaking.
The movie is very suspenseful and the ending is excellent. This
is one of the best movies ever made in my opinion |
| Rating | | | Date | May 03, 2004 | | Summary | a smart, stylish, thriller | Content
| Mimi Rogers plays a wealthy socialate who witnesses a brutal
murder. Tom Berenger and two other detectives are to protect
her in three different shifts. Tom Berenger gets the night shift. This movie shows the side of life that Mimi Roger's
character brings to blue collar detective Tom Berenger. She
introduces him to art, classical music, fancy parties. A romance
develops. Tom Berenger is married and has a son. He is torn
between his family life and the life he can live with Mimi
Rogers. All this aside the murderer is after Mimi Rogers after
he is released from jail. This movie is full of suspense and
a classy thriller. Mimi Rogers was perfect for the part she looks beautiful. She and Tom Berenger have excellent chemistry.
The actress who plays Berenger's wife is good also. This movie
has a shocking ending worthy of the suspenseful storyline. One
of the greatest thrillers ever made |
| Rating | | | Date | August 09, 2002 | | Summary | Window to the soul | Content
| I have never seen another movie in which the actors were more capable of baring their souls with nothing more than the expression in their eyes. Bracco, Rodgers and Berenger 'spoke' far more than was scripted, leading us through the changes in relationships between the characters and the depth of feeling accompanying those changes without words. In most scenes concerning the confusion, pain, desperation and love which ties Mike, Ellie and Clair together, the spoken word was practically superfluous. Ridley Scott is a master at creating tangible atmosphere; I could feel the bite of the cold New York air and smell the aromas of the city; I could have wrapped the opulence of Clair's penthouse around me like a silk duvetyn. Mr. Scott is also a master of the understated. Consider the moment that Mike crossed the line of fidelity and kissed Clair for the first time.... There was more passion in that embrace, in that kiss, than I have seen in a dozen movies put together since, because I was left to make of it what I would. Less being more, each viewer is allowed to create their own vision of what took place behind those closed doors, and so to make this part of the movie their own. I admire the way Mr. Scott used the Manhattan skyline to show the change in Mike's focus. First Mike waits for his train, back turned to Manhattan, absorbed in his daily paper. The next morning he glances up at the skyline wistfully, having seen up close how the other half lives, aware that he could never belong there. Finally he gazes longingly uptown to where Clair waits, unsure as to how he arrived at this impossible juncture in his life. To add accolaids once again to the actors, director and to the screenplay, I must say that although I am not a proponent of adultery, I completely empathized with each character by the end of the film. (I truely thought that I would hate Mike). The characters were so well developed and their emotions were so clearly defined (in part due to that non-verbal communication) that I cared about each one of them, and for a moment wished that everyone could live 'happily ever after'. This is no fairy tale, though. Life is tough, but we all go on, as do Mike, Ellie and Clair. One last note .... The only reason I gave this film 4 instead of 5 stars was that god-awful opera that played constantly throughout Clair's penthouse. Had I been Clair I would have jumped off of the building! (Yes, I realize I have just incurred the ire of all opera lovers - I'm sorry.) The saving grace was that we got to hear two renditions of that great classic "Someone To Watch Over Me". A song to soothe all souls. |
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