Sea Of Love [DVD]

I love this movie chiefly because of the seductive, thrilling presence of Ellen Barkin. Al Pacino et al are all excellent in their roles, superb direction by Harold Becker. But it's Richard Price's earthy, ultra streetwise script that makes it all real. I adore the incidents of relationship faux pas, making it messy, thereby real. All these lonely characters are damaged, looking for love, putting themselves in danger in pursuit of long-lasting love. This movie fully deserves five stars. I still get a glowing warmth when I watch the much missed William Hickey drunkenly recite the love poem Frank's mother wrote...Beautifully messy and human. The dvd transfer picture quality is great for an 1989 movie, making the dark of the night scenes really throw dramatic shadows. The red lights on the cars pop out crisply. However, the only downer is this version's apparent exclusion of the armed bodyguard scene near the beginning. I've looked but I can't find it, you can glimpse it in the trailer and it remains in the old tv version. Overall, this movie is an unmissable classic.

When to see this Film when it first came out loved it. And now it's great too have it in my dvd collection The Sea Of Love.

I saw this at the cinema when it first came out and then re-watched it recently with my wife (who'd never seen it before). It was slicker than I remembered and good fun, even if the "baddie" is a bit out of the blue. The cast are great, New York looks brilliant and it's a proper thriller. Recommended.

Good

Sorry ‘Al’ fans but this for me was a typical later ‘Pacino’ movie – he’s a little wooden and hammy. I don’t know who writes his scripts but they do him no favours at times. I much prefer his early stuff.The overall film isn’t too bad, it has a reasonable story line that keeps you locked in - I quite enjoyed it. Both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb gave it 6.5/10, which I feel is about right.The highlight for me was Ellen Barkin, as Helen Cruger, who I thought was first class, she had a figure to die for – to use New York parlance, her legs went right up to the 23rd floor! John Goodman was also very watchable. The film (1989) was nearly 20 years into Al’s career. It was very successful financially, costing 19 million $ to make and taking in 111 million $! It failed to lift any awards but I do feel Ellen Barkin should have received something for having pins as good as that!

Don't think Al Pacino could make a bad film this ranks up there as one of his best . Has a good story and the music stays with you for a long time lucky to have amazon and be able to purchase these gems that remind us where we were at the time?

Exciting film, full of atmosphere and if you haven't seen it a great twist at the end. Highly recommended. Younger audience might find it a little dated. But if you are over 40 you'll enjoy it.

I've seen this movie several times and it stills holds my attention throughout its duration.This is a good example of a film with average dialogue but excellent acting,directing and editing.Al Pacino plays a policeman who meets Ellen Barkin - a single mother who works in a shoe shop - by placing a lonely hearts advert in a newspaper.Pacino's paranoia in Sea Of Love is only matched by his love for Ellen Barkin who he sees as his way out of a mid-life crisis.This is a very positive film in which the police are portayed in a good light and are a force for good,even though they use some morally dubious tactics to try and catch a serial killer.