"White Sands" (1992) is a crime/drama/thriller about a small town cop (Willem Dafoe) who masquerades as a man he mysteriously finds dead in the desert with half a million dollars. This gets him mixed up with a shady weapons-runner (Mickey Rourke) and a woman of means who is attracted to him (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The convoluted plot also includes a greedy FBI agent, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and many more (e.g. Maura Tierney).
Although shot in and around the spectacular White Sands, New Mexico, (Estancia, Taos and Sante Fe), the film doesn't really take advantage of the locations. Another reviewer shared how the film is "action-packed" but this isn't really the case. There are a lot of soap-operatics as characters discuss things in restaurants, hotels, houses, rodeos, etc. There's SOME action -- mostly people getting shot -- but this is hardly an "action-packed" picture.
What the film has going for it is a cool ambiance, a great cast, solid performances and an excellent soundtrack. Dafoe is a likable protagonist and Mastrantonio shines here, although I was never a fan; plus Jackson is formidable. But it's Mickey Rourke who steals the show. Being the early 90s, Rourke was still a young stud at 40 years of age. Since I'm only familiar with his films of the last 5-7 years, I wouldn't have even recognized him if I didn't know beforehand he was co-starring. In any event, Rourke is magnetic as the charismatic arms-runner.
While not as good as Rourke's more recent "Killshot" -- an underrated thriller from 2008 -- "White Sands" is a professionally made film with enough good points to make it worth your time, if you like the cast.
The film runs 101 minutes.
GRADE: B-
Although shot in and around the spectacular White Sands, New Mexico, (Estancia, Taos and Sante Fe), the film doesn't really take advantage of the locations. Another reviewer shared how the film is "action-packed" but this isn't really the case. There are a lot of soap-operatics as characters discuss things in restaurants, hotels, houses, rodeos, etc. There's SOME action -- mostly people getting shot -- but this is hardly an "action-packed" picture.
What the film has going for it is a cool ambiance, a great cast, solid performances and an excellent soundtrack. Dafoe is a likable protagonist and Mastrantonio shines here, although I was never a fan; plus Jackson is formidable. But it's Mickey Rourke who steals the show. Being the early 90s, Rourke was still a young stud at 40 years of age. Since I'm only familiar with his films of the last 5-7 years, I wouldn't have even recognized him if I didn't know beforehand he was co-starring. In any event, Rourke is magnetic as the charismatic arms-runner.
While not as good as Rourke's more recent "Killshot" -- an underrated thriller from 2008 -- "White Sands" is a professionally made film with enough good points to make it worth your time, if you like the cast.
The film runs 101 minutes.
GRADE: B-