Wed 10 Jun 2020
OUT OF LINE. Curb Entertainment, 2001. Jennifer Beals, Holt McCallany, Michael Moriarty, Christopher Judge, Rick Ravanello, William B. Davis, Alonso Oyarzun. Screenwriter-director: Johanna Demetrakas.
While there is more than enough criminous activity in this film to warrant my categorizing it as a Crime Film, what it really is, when it down to it, is a romance. A Pretty Woman in reverse, you might say, and I’d be even more convinced of the comparison if I’d ever seen that other film. I’ve always meant to, but it’s still on my Must See list.
But try this on for size. When Henri Brulé aka Henry Burns (Holt McCallany) is released from prison early, his parole officer is a young but very dedicated Jenny Capitanas (Jennifer Beals). She’s the kind of supervisor who finds the hard-nosed approach her fellow officers (all male) use not her style at all, and she finds herself taking him to the opera and teaching him tai chi, or if that’s not correct it’s close enough.
The attraction between them is obviously not in the rule book, and as in all good noir films, you know that things are not going to work out well for them, nor do they. Th crime element comes in when Henri has to work on a deal he made to another inmate while still in prison: to mess with both a smooth crime boss’s business – and his wife.
That’s all I’ll say about that, except that it does lead to the very much expected (and explosive) fireworks at the end. To me, the value of this film lies in the (probably) doomed romance, which produces fireworks of a different kind. If it works, and I think it does, a good share of the credit goes to Jennifer Beals, who I haven’t seen in a film she she started, way back with Flashdance, way back in 1983. As an actor, she’s not only beautiful, but intelligent too. Her body language and what you see in her face are fluid and natural. You can’t ask for more. At least I can’t.
The overall film you can call only a qualified success, at best. I saw this online one of streaming channels, and I’d like to have a DVD as a permanent copy, but it seems to have gone out of print very quickly, and used copies have become pricey.
PostScript: I’ve just watched the trailer. It’s excellent.
June 10th, 2020 at 7:52 pm
Trying for the same vibe of the film adaptation of Leonard’s OUT OF SIGHT? Plot lines sound somewhat similar.
June 10th, 2020 at 7:55 pm
That one didn’t occur to me, but yes there certainly is a similarity.
June 11th, 2020 at 12:56 am
It doesn’t sound like PRETTY WOMAN which I saw in a screening when it was called 500 (her price). I reviewed it for AMC movie theater chain where I worked at the Century City theater. It is one of the best comedies of the 80s-90s and made Julia Roberts a star.
Roberts starred as a hooker who rich Richard Gere hires to be his “date” while he was in Los Angeles. Roberts is adorable as a fish out of water while dealing with Gere’s world of the rich.
This was originally a dark noir film (in first version Roberts roommate dies of a drug overdose). But Roberts was too likable and a comedy was born.
June 11th, 2020 at 10:48 am
Your description of PRETTY WOMAN sounds right to me, Michael. There are obviously a lot of differences between the two movies, including the fact that OUT OF LINE is not a comedy. But as I understand it, and here is where I may be quite wrong, Richard Gere’s initial intention toward Julia Roberts is to “reform” her out of the sex worker business, but all kinds of unexpected and unintended consequences ensue.
If that wasn’t the case, then you are right and I shall eat crow.
June 11th, 2020 at 12:10 pm
It has been too long for me to remember much about Gere’s part. My strongest memory of the film is the scene where Roberts in taking a bath and she and Gere discuss her price.
But it doesn’t matter if the comparison is correct the rest of the review was very clear about what OUT OF LINE was.
June 11th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
And here I was ready to ask someone to pass the ketchup. Maybe someone else will weigh in on this.
June 11th, 2020 at 4:21 pm
RAISING ARIZONA begins with the same idea of female law officer/male criminal connexion, but goes in a very different way.
June 11th, 2020 at 6:15 pm
Roger, I can see why you thought of RAISING ARIZONA but you’re right. It really does go off in a different direction.
June 11th, 2020 at 8:36 pm
It’s been a long time since I watched PRETTY WOMAN, but as I recall he wasn’t out to reform Roberts, just pass her off as a lady, more PYGMALION than reform.