MY FILM REVIEW
By María José Echevarría Meliá (5F)
Film Title: MIDNIGHT RUN
Country/ year: USA/1988
Genre: Road, comedy, action, buddy movie
Director: Martin Brest
Cast:
Robert de Niro-Jack Walsh
Charles Grodin-Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas
Yaphet Kotto- Alonzo Mosely
John Aston-Marvin Dorfler
Dennis Farina-Jimmy Serrano
Joe Pantoliano-Eddie Moscone
Late night road movies have always been a little pleasure of mine. There is something in those films which takes me on a journey with its main characters from the beginning to the end that always manages to attract me to watch them.
One night about seven years ago, I was watching a football match on the TV. When it finished and I was over to switch off the TV the main theme of this film caught my attention compelling me to tune in; fortunately I stayed on.
The movie begins by introducing you to Robert de Niro’s character, Jack Walsh, who plays an ex cop now working as a bounty hunter. From this moment his character establishes himself as a man who must not be messed with, but who also has a very dry and hilarious sense of humor.
At this stage of the movie, the idea of rivality in the bounty hunter profession is also introduced when Jack’s closest rival, Marvin Dorfler (John Aston), makes his first appearance trying to arrest Jack’s latest capture.
After making profit on his last prisoner, Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantaliano), Jack’s bail bondsman employer, offered him a job. If Jack returns embezzling accountant, Johnathan “The Duke”Mardukas (Charles Grodin) from New York to Los Angeles he will receive $100.000 fee. Eddie Moscone says the job is a piece of cake, a Midnight Run. (In the bounty hunter world Midnight Run is a slang expression which means aprehending a suspect who has escaped from his parole and returning him back to the parole board by midnight). This kind of jobs is usually considered as easy catches, and most of them they are.
Jack accepts this Midnight Run because he needs the $100.000 to give up his actual employment as a bounty hunter to start a small coffe shop.
On the other hand, Jonathan “Th Duke” Mardukas is a sensitive and fussy accountant who has embezzled $15.000.000 from the gangster Jimmy Serrano, (Dennis Farina), and given most of it to charity when he realised he had been working for the Mafia. Since then, Serrano wants him death.
By María José Echevarría Meliá (5F)
Film Title: MIDNIGHT RUN
Country/ year: USA/1988
Genre: Road, comedy, action, buddy movie
Director: Martin Brest
Cast:
Robert de Niro-Jack Walsh
Charles Grodin-Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas
Yaphet Kotto- Alonzo Mosely
John Aston-Marvin Dorfler
Dennis Farina-Jimmy Serrano
Joe Pantoliano-Eddie Moscone
Late night road movies have always been a little pleasure of mine. There is something in those films which takes me on a journey with its main characters from the beginning to the end that always manages to attract me to watch them.
One night about seven years ago, I was watching a football match on the TV. When it finished and I was over to switch off the TV the main theme of this film caught my attention compelling me to tune in; fortunately I stayed on.
The movie begins by introducing you to Robert de Niro’s character, Jack Walsh, who plays an ex cop now working as a bounty hunter. From this moment his character establishes himself as a man who must not be messed with, but who also has a very dry and hilarious sense of humor.
At this stage of the movie, the idea of rivality in the bounty hunter profession is also introduced when Jack’s closest rival, Marvin Dorfler (John Aston), makes his first appearance trying to arrest Jack’s latest capture.
After making profit on his last prisoner, Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantaliano), Jack’s bail bondsman employer, offered him a job. If Jack returns embezzling accountant, Johnathan “The Duke”Mardukas (Charles Grodin) from New York to Los Angeles he will receive $100.000 fee. Eddie Moscone says the job is a piece of cake, a Midnight Run. (In the bounty hunter world Midnight Run is a slang expression which means aprehending a suspect who has escaped from his parole and returning him back to the parole board by midnight). This kind of jobs is usually considered as easy catches, and most of them they are.
Jack accepts this Midnight Run because he needs the $100.000 to give up his actual employment as a bounty hunter to start a small coffe shop.
On the other hand, Jonathan “Th Duke” Mardukas is a sensitive and fussy accountant who has embezzled $15.000.000 from the gangster Jimmy Serrano, (Dennis Farina), and given most of it to charity when he realised he had been working for the Mafia. Since then, Serrano wants him death.
To complicate the matter, the FBI headed by Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto), is also after the accountant to testify against Jimmy Serrano, and of course, the nervous Jack’s employer, Moscone, sends another competing bounty hunter into the mix.
Althoug Serrano’s bullies and the FBI have been searching “The Duke” all over the country during a couple of years without any success, Jack Walsh seems to find him in about thirty seconds using an ingenious trick. Once Jack has found John he realises that his latest bounty is harder to transport than he thinks when Mardukas makes a scene on the cross country airline from New York to Los Angeles and Jack is forced to take the long way across the country with the talkative John.
The two unlikely partners suffer an entertaining an hysterical road trip via plane, train and car crossing the USA as they attempt to outrun John’s enemies: the Mafia, the FBI, the rival bounty hunters and thousand other problems.
Talking in general about the movie the only thing I can say is that it is a great film. I liked all the characters, especially the two leading players who are very realistic and beliable.
Jack Walsh (Robert de Niro) is a Chicago ex cop who lost his job and family when he refused to join Serrano’s (the gangster) payroll. For that reason he is weary, worn out, short tempered and bitter and it takes John (Charles Grodin) less than the time it takes to fry an egg to get on his nerves. He picks at Jack’s eating habits, his smoking, his demeanor, his way of treating his ex wife, well, everything. If it wasn’t for the $100.000 Jack would most likely strangle “The Duke” to death.
In fact, I think that the best moments of the movie come from the speedy hysterical dialogues and discussions between both actors, with De Niro in a mixture of silence and rage, in front of Grodin’s amusing behaviour. You can also apreciate in De Niro’s role that, as ex cop, he still has to contend with his morals because he essentially goes after people for cash rather than for the good of law.
The other characters are all fantastic, especially the rival bounty hunter, Marvin Dorfler (John Aston) and the FBI officer, Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto), who gets continually annoyed by the pair he is chasing impersonating him before he can catch them.
In addition, I would say that the main players are brilliant, and personally I think, with no hesitation, that this is one of their best works. Not only De Niro, either Grodin play their funniest characters. I think much better than De Niro in his most famous comedy “Meet the parents” and Grodin in his top hit movie “Beethoven”.
Regarding to the film, it moves very fast and most of time the characters are always being chased running away from other people or just having some quick dialogue to speed up its slower moments. The movie also manages to cover succesfully a lot of genres including the buddy movie, the action movie and also some real good dramatic moments.
Other elements of the film such as cinematography, score, set design, costumes, editing and direction manage to do a pretty good job. For example, the director, Martin Brest, captures the whole journey aspects of the movie and always make you feel close to the two main actors; and the sets are all based on real world and this helps you to feel, even more, that the movie really is “on the road”.
Although the movie is actually quite long, the director has got succesfully that every scene was worthwhile and has done a good job editing the movie so that the whole trip and its developments come together to the end.
Another aspect I would like to remark is the movie original soundtrack by Danny Elfman, perfectly suitable in every scene or moment of the movie, specially its main theme which has a southern blues taste.
Before talking about if I recommend this movie to you, I can not avoid remarking my favourite scene. Perhaps it only takes five seconds but is really perfect. During the trip (or better runaway), John persuades Jack to see his ex wife, now remarried, and daughter, neither of whom Jack has seen for nine years. I like very much the moment when Jack (with John) is at his ex wife’s porch waiting for her to open the door. When she opens it there is a brief moment in which you can discover in De Niro’s sad and desperate glance that he is still in love with her, completely in love with his ex wife. Then you understand Jack’s suffering having to leave all his previous life, his wife and little daughter and the reason for his bittered behaviour.
Finally, would I recommend this movie? I would say, with no hesitation a definite and resounding yes. In fact when you see it you will wish it never ends, you will wish, as me, that it still goes on, overall because of his surprisingly end.
By the way, one curiosity. Universal Studios initially wanted Robin Williams to play the Charles Grodin’s character, but the director casted Grodin after watching De Niro and Grodin read together.
Althoug Serrano’s bullies and the FBI have been searching “The Duke” all over the country during a couple of years without any success, Jack Walsh seems to find him in about thirty seconds using an ingenious trick. Once Jack has found John he realises that his latest bounty is harder to transport than he thinks when Mardukas makes a scene on the cross country airline from New York to Los Angeles and Jack is forced to take the long way across the country with the talkative John.
The two unlikely partners suffer an entertaining an hysterical road trip via plane, train and car crossing the USA as they attempt to outrun John’s enemies: the Mafia, the FBI, the rival bounty hunters and thousand other problems.
Talking in general about the movie the only thing I can say is that it is a great film. I liked all the characters, especially the two leading players who are very realistic and beliable.
Jack Walsh (Robert de Niro) is a Chicago ex cop who lost his job and family when he refused to join Serrano’s (the gangster) payroll. For that reason he is weary, worn out, short tempered and bitter and it takes John (Charles Grodin) less than the time it takes to fry an egg to get on his nerves. He picks at Jack’s eating habits, his smoking, his demeanor, his way of treating his ex wife, well, everything. If it wasn’t for the $100.000 Jack would most likely strangle “The Duke” to death.
In fact, I think that the best moments of the movie come from the speedy hysterical dialogues and discussions between both actors, with De Niro in a mixture of silence and rage, in front of Grodin’s amusing behaviour. You can also apreciate in De Niro’s role that, as ex cop, he still has to contend with his morals because he essentially goes after people for cash rather than for the good of law.
The other characters are all fantastic, especially the rival bounty hunter, Marvin Dorfler (John Aston) and the FBI officer, Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto), who gets continually annoyed by the pair he is chasing impersonating him before he can catch them.
In addition, I would say that the main players are brilliant, and personally I think, with no hesitation, that this is one of their best works. Not only De Niro, either Grodin play their funniest characters. I think much better than De Niro in his most famous comedy “Meet the parents” and Grodin in his top hit movie “Beethoven”.
Regarding to the film, it moves very fast and most of time the characters are always being chased running away from other people or just having some quick dialogue to speed up its slower moments. The movie also manages to cover succesfully a lot of genres including the buddy movie, the action movie and also some real good dramatic moments.
Other elements of the film such as cinematography, score, set design, costumes, editing and direction manage to do a pretty good job. For example, the director, Martin Brest, captures the whole journey aspects of the movie and always make you feel close to the two main actors; and the sets are all based on real world and this helps you to feel, even more, that the movie really is “on the road”.
Although the movie is actually quite long, the director has got succesfully that every scene was worthwhile and has done a good job editing the movie so that the whole trip and its developments come together to the end.
Another aspect I would like to remark is the movie original soundtrack by Danny Elfman, perfectly suitable in every scene or moment of the movie, specially its main theme which has a southern blues taste.
Before talking about if I recommend this movie to you, I can not avoid remarking my favourite scene. Perhaps it only takes five seconds but is really perfect. During the trip (or better runaway), John persuades Jack to see his ex wife, now remarried, and daughter, neither of whom Jack has seen for nine years. I like very much the moment when Jack (with John) is at his ex wife’s porch waiting for her to open the door. When she opens it there is a brief moment in which you can discover in De Niro’s sad and desperate glance that he is still in love with her, completely in love with his ex wife. Then you understand Jack’s suffering having to leave all his previous life, his wife and little daughter and the reason for his bittered behaviour.
Finally, would I recommend this movie? I would say, with no hesitation a definite and resounding yes. In fact when you see it you will wish it never ends, you will wish, as me, that it still goes on, overall because of his surprisingly end.
By the way, one curiosity. Universal Studios initially wanted Robin Williams to play the Charles Grodin’s character, but the director casted Grodin after watching De Niro and Grodin read together.
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