Sea of Love (1989) User Reviews

A solid cop thriller with a romantic twist

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 12 March 2019]

Frank Keller is a New York detective investigating the murder of a man who was found naked, shot in the back of his head, with the song 'Sea of Love' playing on the record player. It is suspected that the killer may be a woman. This theory is reinforced when it there is a similar killing in Queens. Both victims had placed poetic ads in a lonely hearts column. Keller teams up with Detective Sherman Touhey, from Queens, and place their own advert. They meet various women and Keller ends up going out with one Helen Cruger; unfortunately it is possible that she is the killer; if so he could be in real danger.

This might not be one of the '80s most memorable films but it is well worth watching if you enjoy cop movies. Al Pacino does a fine job as Keller and has a good chemistry with John Goodman, who plays Touhey. He also has a believable chemistry with Ellen Barkin's Helen... simultaneously falling in love and occasionally fearing she could kill him. Barkin is really good as Helen; sexy but slightly ambiguous. Inevitably there are some twists along the way before we finally learn who the killer is. The story has a good neo-noir feel with plenty of tension and ambiguous characters while managing to avoid some clichés I'd expected. Overall a solid film that I'd recommend to fans of the genre; a must see for Pacino's fans.

I Remember Sea of Love -

[Galina_movie_fan · 8/10 · 3 November 2006]

I've watched it many times and never get tired of it. "Sea of Love" is one of few films where Al Pacino is very sexy, and it is adds to the film's many pleasures. The rest of them are - well constructed story of a New York Homicide cop (Pacino) attracted to a mysterious blond woman with a charming crooked grin (Ellen Barkin - talented, sexy and underrated actress) who may or may not be a serial killer. The chemistry between Pacino and Barkin is powerful and undeniable and the love scenes between them are among the best and most memorable ever filmed. John Goodman is very good as Pacino's partner and friend and yes I love the soundtrack and the title song.

Edgy, smart thriller

[The_Core · 8/10 · 21 January 2002]

Great screenplay, acting and settings combine to make a dynamite film. The constant tension between the police investigation and Pacino's love interest keep the suspense going strong, and the chemistry between Barkin and Pacino is fabulous. John Goodman is excellent as always, the sex/death themes add to the tension, and the ending will throw most for a loop... this film delivers. Try it, you'll like it.

8/10

Great, funny cop thriller. Goodman-Pacino pairing is gold!

[Ben_Cheshire · 7/10 · 29 June 2004]

Men who've answered personal ads in the lonely hearts column featuring poetry are being found naked, face down on their beds. There are cigarette butts with lipstick on them in their ashtrays. Detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino), along with his sidekick Sherman (John Goodman), decide to enter their own ad in the lonely hearts column, and try to match the killer's fingerprints.

A great premise that definitely justifies making yet another police procedural, this Al Pacino vehicle won this reviewer over, which is hard to do these days with cop thrillers - once you see enough they all start to look the same.

But here we've got a great script, with some terrific wisecracking cop lines, great actors, especially Pacino, Goodman and sexy Ellen Barkin - which make for a very enjoyable ride. Sure the score is a little 80's, and Ellen Barkin may look back and regret that hair-do, but otherwise this is a very successful piece of film.

This is largely due to the terrific screen presence of Al Pacino - he's such a firecracker! And the hugely enjoyable chemistry between partners Pacino and John Goodman. They play off each other so well. The dating scenes are particularly fun - personal highlights for me. And, of course, Ellen Barkin exudes sensuality. Its incredible.

The title may sound pulpy and cheap - but its for good cause. We find out in the first few minutes that its the name of the song the killer was playing when the first murder of the film occured. Its also ironic - the crime-ridden world of this film is anything but a sea of love.

7/10. Must-see for Pacino fans and fans of cop thrillers. For everyone else, not essential, but great saturday night fair.

Lonely Nights

[Lechuguilla · 30 May 2005]

Al Pacino is excellent as the lonely and alcoholic Frank Keller, a veteran New York City cop, hot on the trail of a serial killer. In addition to Keller, and his tough-minded romantic interest, Helen, played well by Ellen Barkin, a third major character is the city wherein the story takes place. Ronnie Taylor's noirish cinematography and Trevor Jones' appropriately downbeat score paint rather a lonely picture of nighttime Manhattan, with all that colorful and flashy neon and the dreary rain. The overall effect is a sense of psychological isolation, alienation, and ... danger.

It's a perfect setting for a story about a series of murders, seemingly tied together by oldies-but-goodies songs. Keller searches for a killer who seems normal, but on the inside is a smoldering volcano. As a murder mystery, "Sea Of Love" works, because of its focus, and because of its restrictive narration. The viewer knows what Frank Keller knows, but nothing more. Clues are very subtle, and lie more in what is not said, than what is said. The ending was a surprise to me. I did not see it coming.

I have a couple of problems with the film, neither of which is serious. First, there are several plot segments that seem unnecessary, and could have been edited out. Second, certain scenes involving the victims are confusing.

"Sea Of Love" is a mystery/thriller that I recommend highly. It is psychologically intense, and it has an atmosphere that is suitably sinister. The acting, the music, the cinematography, the script, and the production design are all credible. And I could listen all day to that oldies-but-goodies song by Phil Phillips, from 1959.

An intense film noir with so many different shades

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 23 September 2008]

Within a kind of light and shadow there's almost a trademark photography for a film noir movie, and "Sea of Love" is a film that takes place in the shadows…

Al Pacino plays Frank Teller, a self-conscious detective—in search of a serial killer—drawn into a torrid sexual relationship with an attractive young woman he met in a super market when all the good citizens of the city are asleep and the people who are walking around are the ones who are leading the most solitary lives…

Helen Barkin is just so right for the part… You can believe her when you see her dressed in her red leather jacket and tight jeans… She's a lady of the night, sexy as hell, and a woman who can take care of herself… Between her and Pacino, there were enough attraction that's deep but also there were feelings of vulnerability and suspicion

I swear on the eyes of my children.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 26 August 2011]

Sea of Love is directed by Harold Becker and written by Richard Price. It stars Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, Michael Rooker and William Hickey. Music is by Trevor Jones and Ronnie Taylor is the cinematographer. Plot has Pacino as New York Police Detective Frank Keller, a borderline alcoholic and lonely after his wife left him for one of his colleagues. Tracking a serial killer of men, an investigation set-up leads him to date a number of women with the idea of obtaining forensic evidence off of the wine glasses. One of these women is sultry blonde, Helen Cruger (Barkin), who Frank starts to have a passionate relationship with…..

The erotic thriller is a tough premise to get right on film, so many elements have to fall in to place for the film to win over critics and film goers alike. Chemistry of lead cast members, a gripping plot, plausible outcome, and so on. Too many over the years have failed miserably at it, resorting to either gratuitous tactics or simple star casting to entice the paying public in to the theatre. Sea of Love is not a complete success, but it's certainly one of the best of its type. Were it not for a weak murder motive that's not fully explored, resulting in something of an unsatisfying finale, we would probably be talking about Sea of Love being the template movie for the erotic thriller.

All else that leads up to the last 15 minutes is sizzling, Barkin and Pacino spark in every scene they share, where even with the sex scenes, the fact that Barkin towers over Pacino doesn't detract from the sexual chemistry, it adds to it. It's smart, too, that we don't see Barkin for the first third of the movie, the anticipation builds up and thankfully upon arriving into the picture she doesn't disappoint. Goodman is ebullient and makes a good foil for Pacino's haggard life sucks act, his Sherman an easy to get on side with character.

The guessing game at the heart of the plot is well handled by the makers, there's no stupid giveaways or overkill of red herrings, while the edgy lonely hearts basis for both the killings and the investigative trap is nicely written by Richard Price. Fusing both loneliness and sexual needs together as one, Becker is able to get much emotional mileage out of the story. If only the ending could have made good on the promise shown. Come the last 15 minutes the "is she or isn't she the killer?" factor has run out of steam, with what follows inducing cries of "oh, is that it?"- instead of- "oh my god!". Damn shame that. 7.5/10

Not bad but full of holes, and not the kind from bullets

[tsmith417 · 6/10 · 14 October 2009]

While Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin do a good job, John Goodmam steals the show as the cop from Queens who wants to make it into the "big time" of Manhattan.

My biggest problem with this movie is the abundance of plot holes that never get filled. What does the song "Sea of Love" have anything to do with anything? Why does the killer leave it playing on the victim's turntable instead of taking it with him? Why don't the cops go to record stores to ask who has been buying this same old 45 once a week? Why do the cops continue with their lonely hearts baiting scheme if there aren't any more killings once Pacino meets Barkin? Why did the killer wait so long to attack Pacino when it was obvious he killed the other men immediately after his ex-wife's first encounter with them? What cop doesn't have photographs of other cops hanging all over the walls in his apartment so that anyone who walks in can tell right off the bat that he's a cop? What man who gets sloppy drunk every night keeps such a neat apartment in the first place? What man considers asking a woman to move in with him when he hasn't even met the woman's child and doesn't even know the kid's name? Why did Barkin's character stay with Pacino's character after she found out what an annoying lush he was? And most importantly, what woman would allow her husband to invite a complete stranger to her daughter's wedding at the very last minute, and then let them discuss police work? It wasn't a completely bad movie, and there were some good parts, but overall it left me wondering about too many things.

Sea of Loneliness...

[gattonero975 · 7/10 · 16 October 2015]

What a great little "comeback" for Pacino. He had not done a movie in four years! (1985's Revolution)I had seen that "Revolution" and it was bad beyond belief. But here in this one, Al finds redemption.

His character doesn't really evoke a hero, because he is a cop who drinks and just goes thru the motions since he is on a 20 years on the force and planning to retire. He is somewhat of a washed-up drunk and you really can't feel sorry for him and no wonder his wife (a deleted Lorraine Bracco) left him for a more stable man(Richard Jenkins) a fellow cop that works at the same station Pacino does. But there in lies the magnificent performance of this fine actor of Pacino as he is. He makes you despise the guy but at the same time root for him to catch the killer.

Ellen Barkin just oozes sexiness like never before seen in her performances. She stole the movie for me. She was just that great and real. She and Pacino had great chemistry. To bad they didn't work together more. It would be close to 20 years when they would work together again in the same film.

John Goodman as a fellow cop and sidekick of Pacino was just excellent. They both had a real chemistry. Too bad they didn't do way more work together.

Michael Rooker as always plays a very good mean, racist and not to friendly guy. They cast him because of his performance in "Henry:the Portrait of a Serial Killer" William Hickey had a great cameo as Al's dad. He has a great line in which he recites a poem his wife, Al's mom, wrote for him. Al uses that same poem and it attracts the woman on the dating service.

John Spencer had but a small role and all he did was basically smile at Al's requests and small talk. Christine Estabrook had a nice small role as a innocent girl looking for love on the dating site and being used in more ways than one. Still looking beautiful at her age and at the time, Patricia Barry had a also a small but sad part as a older woman still looking for love. Luis Antonio Ramos, Samuel L. Jackson and Damien Leake all had bit small parts and were memorable in a scene where they are being busted at a sting operation. Leake was spared because Pacino let him go when Leake brought his little son and Pacino didn't have in his heart to bust him at the moment but will later. Tom Wagner has a nice little bit as ,once again, a bartender. And Angel Ramirez has a uncredited bit part but it wasted in the scene.

All in all a nice little sexy thriller but very predictable film. But still worth watching for the nice cast involved.

"Do you remember the sea of love"? I hope so because it's one of the best and most underrated thrillers ever made!

[Brian-272 · 8/10 · 3 June 2001]

I remember seeing Sea of Love at the theater in 1989 and left saying to myself I had just seen one of the best thrillers made. Sea of Love is just one of those movies that kept me in great suspense and excitement I really felt surprised in the end when the killer was revealed. Since then I have caught Sea of Love about a dozen times on cable and still to this day enjoy the thrilling drama. The story is just great with the legend Al Pacino as Detective Frank Keller who tries to catch and bait a lonely hearts killer. Pacino is helped in his search by Detective Sherman played great by the very funny John Goodman this was one of the better performances from Goodman. Then the search takes a good but yet a bad turn when Pacino (Detective Frank Keller) finds an interesting friend a very sexy and erotic type looking female played marvelously by the attractive Ellen Barkin. I must say that with the stunning performance Ellen gave with this role she should have gotten any work she wanted to in films. I will not say nothing to any of you who haven't seen the film I will let you enjoy the surprise like I did the first time I saw Sea of Love. Sea of Love doesn't get the respect it deserves still it airs on cable but watch this on a dark and rainy night alone or day for that matter and feel the thrills and suspense of this steaming thriller you would see it's one of the best films around I don't see who would or could dislike this so take a swim in the sea of love!

A creepy thriller with a scary turn on a title song played over and over

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 25 October 2023]

Frank - Al Pacino - has just reached his 20th year with the NYPD. This milestone brings no joy, as his wife left him for a colleague. However, a new case captures his attention. A man is found facedown in bed, bullet to his skull, with an old 45 record playing Sea of Love on the turntable. A second case exactly the same is found. One key common denominator is both men placed rhyming personal ads in the paper. Then a third man is killed. Placing a poetic personal ad for the Dept, Frank interviews women who answer. One is Helen - Ellen Barkin - who attracts Frank romantically. She couldn't be a killer, huh ? This creepy thriller has two good stars, a decent script and a theme song which gives everyone goosebumps along the way. Most mystery film lovers will find this one a good view.

A fine thriller, and a great movie with great acting.

[Clifford04 · 10/10 · 5 August 2005]

This is one great movie, not only a thriller which it is also. Sometimes a movie will come out so that watching it will be like reading a good book. This is one of few. Excellent script, great acting and directing and photo – and the additional point in introducing Barkin's character far into the film makes for a much more convincing narrative. Both Pacina and Barkin have always been great actors, and here they are at their best, perhaps because of a certain tension between them – one cannot decide if they are friends personally or hate each other, or perhaps they create the ambivalence just because they are superb actors. Anyway, I don't know if this one got any major awards, but it sure should have. Besides Barkin is one hell of a woman, and I supposed that Pacino is one hell of a man.

Keeps your attention throughout

[callanvass · 7/10 · 11 November 2013]

I wouldn't rank this among Pacino's best, nor will I remember it for years to come, like I would other Pacino movies, but for a sexy thriller it does the job. This movie does a good job at keeping you out of the loop, when it comes to the culprit. You're never fully sure what is behind Ellen Barkin's mysterious character, but you can't help but keep watching. Al Pacino plays somewhat of an alcoholic who becomes more and more infatuated with Ellen Barkin as the movie goes along. Let's face it. Pacino can play cards for an hour, and he'll grab your attention. Thankfully, he doesn't phone it in here, and goes full in. I especially liked the scene where he is undercover, interviewing woman at a restaurant to try and find the killer. He was fantastic here, but that shouldn't be any surprise. His chemistry with Barkin was pretty good as well. I touched on Ellen Barkin briefly at the beginning of the review, but I can't understate her great performance, or her enormous sex appeal. Some of her steamy scenes with Al Pacino had me in awe. It was pretty hot stuff. John Goodman is quite good as Pacino's friend, whilst Michael Rooker makes a memorable appearance at the end. I did think the ending was a bit subdued, and it does tend to drag at places in the middle, but overall, I dug it. I recommend it.

P.S. Keep on the lookout for Samuel L. Jackson!

7/10

High Score for Pacino

[CheshireCatsGrin · 4/10 · 29 March 2005]

The only reason I could even give this film above a 1 is that Al Pacino's performance prevented me from leaving the room until it was over. I did have to pause it a number of times simply because I was bored and other things caught my attention, however.

How a movie which was put together so poorly received a 6.7 is beyond me. It doesn't know where it wants to go, is it a thriller, a cop movie, or a love story? I still haven't figured that one out.

The ending felt like a forced twist. It was also too quick. I felt a "Now you see it, now you don't" type of impression during the last few minutes.

Pacino and Barkin have no chemistry, and the fact they don't even bother to give us Helen's last name should tell you all you need to know about character development.

I'm sure glad I rented this one for free. But even then, I felt cheated as I wasted my time.

Slick genre piece

[rmax304823 · 18 April 2004]

Pacino looks a little beat here. He's not the brooding young kingpin of The Godfather Part II or the idealistic officer of Serpico. But it's perfectly okay because his age and somewhat reduced physical presence fit the role. He's a disillusioned, divorced, lonely cop who gets bagged up and calls people at three in the morning. He gets involved more or less by accident with Ellen Barkin, who may or may not be a serial killer and a "nutcase." Barken is well cast too. There's something vaguely predatory about her slitted eyes and lips, and there's an animal quality to her first sexual encounter with Pacino. She smooches him up voraciously in his darkened apartment then tears herself away to stalk back and forth in her tiny skirt muttering hoarse ululations before jumping his bones and almost killing him.

The support is equally good John Goodman is the soul of cheerful, friendly understanding, just as he was before revealing his slightly berserk side in "Barton Fink." His smile, his hand gestures, are so practiced and effective. (Alas he's required to do one of those stupid male strip-tease dances like Gene Hackman's in "Scarecrow" and Michael Ontkean's in "Slap Shot." Are they supposed to be entertaining? Amusing? What.) I always enjoy Bill Hickey too, here as Pacino's father. There was just something about Hickey that made his every performance memorable. Too bad he didn't spend more time on screen during his career. Rooker, as the murderer, is typecast but gets the job done.

The direction is competent, but the writing, by Richard Price, is more than that. It's really pretty good. Not just in the dramatic scenes but in the interpolated comic interludes as well. Pacino is pitching woo to a beautiful woman who apologizes for being older than he is. Pacino's reply: "Are you kidding? You're twice as good looking as three quarters of the women I know who are half your age.... Did that come out right?" What's also admirable about the script is that it focuses about equally on this developing but disturbing romance and the crime plot. Many of the scenes are shot at night and they don't make easy use of New York locations. Pacino and Barkin don't throw themselves into an embrace in front of the fountain at Lincoln Center.

Nobody drives across the Brooklyn Bridge. In fact, nobody drives, so there are no car chases ending in collosal crashes on the FDR, which is fine with me.

It's still a genre movie, not very demanding of the audience, but it's quite well done. I'm not fond of "Sea of Love" the song, or any of 50s rock, but Pacino and the others would be. There's nothing much else in the way of a score, but I must mention the scene in which Pacino takes Barkin to a fancy restaurant to propose to her. The waiter takes forever to bring a menu. Meanwhile Pacino is nervously belting down drinks (the payoff comes later) and the most hideous strolling violinist in the world keep playing absolutely lousy renditions of "Strangers in the Night" and something that Bach might have written during a hallucination. Just terrible. My twelve-year-old kid would have been more often on key. This guy is lost on the Kreisler Highway.

Worth seeing.

Slightly Above Average Cop Thriller

[milesusmc0151 · 7/10 · 5 June 2005]

The first half of this movie is a crime mystery. The second half is a love story. I thought that I would know what happened next and for the most part I was right. Thre were a few surprises and i admit i did not see the ending coming. Although once I saw it kinda made sense who the killer was.

I just thought that the movie was repetitive in its dialog in some parts. Al Pacino is his usual self in one of his come back roles were he has picked up the deep voice and the dark eyes. Besides one scene in a Shoe store i think his performance is rather average. No where in the league of later works such as Scent of a Women and Glenn Gary Glenn Ross. In the confines of the script the actors did what they could so i give it a generous seven.

slightly above average but has a tendency to drag a bit.

[triple8 · 6/10 · 4 September 2003]

Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin were both pretty good in this crime drama about a detective tracking a serial killer. There's some good drama in this movie, coupled with excellent chemistry between Pacino and Barkin. There's some particularly slow moving parts to the movie, other parts that are so so but through it all the story is involving as is the enfolding relationship between Pacino and Barkin so for the most part it keeps you wanting to know what happens next. The main problem is when Pacino and Barken are not on screen together, the movie can get a bit dull.This is not a great movie or a remarkable movie but a solid crime drama that's good to view once if not already seen.I'd say 6 out of 10.

routine psychodrama with a few bright spots

[mjneu59 · 6/10 · 1 January 2011]

Without Al Pacino to lend it credibility this dangerous (and all-too familiar) romance between the cop and the beautiful murder suspect might have been just another modern thriller, complete with routine doses of obsessive foreplay and glossy film noir visuals. But with the right actor in the right role and with some clever dialogue the film is able (at times) to rise above the curious banality of its title (and title song), and the sexism of its scenario. Ellen Barkin plays every frustrated cop's dream assignment: a nymphomaniac single mother, suspected of stalking lonely men through personal ads and leaving them dead (presumably) at the moment of sexual climax. Pacino is too good an actor for such a disposable, transparently male fantasy, but he's in good company with John Goodman, who gets plenty of mileage out of his standard jolly fat buddy role. But the throwaway revelation of the killer's true identity is anticlimactic, and the violent surprise ending is almost ruined by a totally bogus, happily-ever-after epilogue.

A solid three star crime flick.

[=G= · 7/10 · 22 June 2002]

A 49 year old Al Pacino is at the center of this crime flick as a workaholic New York homicide detective on the trail of a serial killer while having a sordid affair with a woman (Barkin) who could be the killer. "Sea of Love" provides nonstop drama with little action while Pacino wrestles with issues including an exwife, a lover, alcohol, burn-out, and, of course, the killer. A three star flick, "Sea of Love" is a must see for Pacino fans and solid entertainment for all others into crime dramas.

Welcome back Al, in not the best, in a sea of good thrillers

[videorama-759-859391 · 7/10 · 21 January 2015]

Sea Of Love marks Al's big return to the screen, in probably not the best pic, after that dud, Revolution. He plays a cop who's working a serial killer case where supposedly a female killer out there is killing guys, who have answered to these lonely hearts ads. Each victim is found, bare naked on their stomach, with the song Sea Of Love, playing on an L P, nearby. He falls in love with a suspect, Ellen Barkin, who's never looked hotter. By having her as a living on the edge, dangerous, and private character, who like she says "Does things on impulse", we are frequently suppose to believe it's her. May'be it really is. While Sea Of Love manages to be very entertaining, with Al in an interesting comeback of character I like, there are much better thrillers out there, where as a thriller this wasn't special, but the fun of the movie is seeing if Pacino is walking into his own coffin. To make it us throw more suspicion on Barkin', two many coincidences and actions are thrown in, a stray gun, and throwing Pacino up against a wall, for starters, etc. The movie though is an old and one of those entertaining watches, and Barkin's character, if not believable the character, itself, is one of a kind.

The perfect movie for that 'first time-break the ice' date that men can enjoy too.

[Andre-148 · 8/10 · 17 October 2004]

Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin sizzle in this murder-mystery/love-story. For all those guys out there that are forced to watch 'chick flicks' and for the ladies that sit through over violent action thrillers, here is a movie both will enjoy. Pacino has made a career at attracting both men and women in his movies and you will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful woman than Barkin in this movie. John Goodman is a Detective and Pacino's partner reminiscent of another very good Ellen Barkin Love-Thriller 'The Big Easy' with Dennis Quaid. In 'Sea Of Love' the passionate love making combined with several possible endings in classic 'who-done-it?' style, will keep your attention and mood in check. Light candles and break out the wine you won't be sorry.

Stays Very Intense The Whole Way Through

[eric262003 · 7/10 · 29 January 2019]

Resting in the annals of highly prolific suspense thrillers like "Jagged Edge" and "Fatal Attraction", "Sea of Love" has the right formula of bone chilling suspicions of getting romantically linked with someone who could potentially kill you. Here we have Al Pacino who looked more grizzled than his previous films (he's a method actor) but more in his game as homicide detective Frank Keller who's challenging himself to a very ugly murder mystery. The victim is lonely single man and the possible perpetrator might be a female.

Searching for clues to ascertain possible suspects, Keller runs into another detective from Queens Sherman Touhey (John Goodman) who's also solving a very similar case. What's ironic is that the victims were both males took up rhyming ads in singles magazines looking for a relationship. Noticing a pattern, Keller and Touhey decide to falsely place ads that rhyme of their own and date all the women who respond to them. That way they can trace their fingerprints on the wine glasses and compare them to the crime scene.

In one of the more innovative measures to ascertain the culprit, Keller arranged these one in an assembly line format with each lonely heart eating out with Keller while Touhey serving as their waiter. This is where things start to get more compelling where one of the women named Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) has her turn to date Keller and suddenly he becomes attracted to both her beauty, but she plays hard to get. Keller eventually steps out of line professionally and into more dangerous territory as he meets up with her again at a market where she works at a shoe store. They seem on better acquainted with each other to te point where they become romantically attracted to one another.

But the romantic angle is not a true one, but a scheme to find out if Helen is in fact the murderer. There are a myriad of evidence that's proven accurate and many more that's convincing. Taken a few pages of Glenn Close's attraction to Jeff Bridges' character from "Jagged Edge", Keller seems more determined to rather sacrifice his life for this potential suspect as Helen seems to have a metaphoric love spell on him and the worst part is he doesn't seem to care. This all seems to be proven effectively at least until near the end where the solution just decides to throw an awkward curve ball at you. The real meal ticket here is amazing chemistry between Pacino and Barkin and is Barkin who truly seems to out amazingly outshines a legend like Pacino and that's no easy task. There's no denying that Barkin is very dedicated to her craft. Her performance in 1987's "The Big Easy" was golden. Here her energy lights up the room every time she stalks at her prey and her embracing towards Pacino is quite bone-chilling.

For Al Pacino, this was a bit a reminder of all the grittier roles he once played back in the 1970's long before he slipped into more Oscar calibre roles and more lighter material (sans Scarface). As Frank Keller, he's focused, complex, resourceful and believable. John Goodman who's more known for being a comedic actor plays a more straight-laced character here as he becomes concerned over the potential dangers his friend is putting himself on by dating this woman who might be a killer.

Like I said this movie works on so many levels, but the red herring comes right near the end. I really don't like it when a randomized character comes in out of nowhere and turns out to be the killer. I can get twists but I hate the feeling of being shortchanged and this is where the film loses points. We as mystery lovers want to participate in solving these cases, that's part of the fun. Here director Harold Becker drains it out at the last minute. I was mesmerized by the characters and the elements that with the enjoyment of "Sea of Love", but in the end I felt kind of letdown with a good case that ended too soon and just ran out of ideas making it feel too rushed.

Murder, Speed Dating, Loneliness & Suspicion

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 8 May 2010]

"Sea Of Love" is an enthralling murder mystery which contains an entertaining blend of suspense, humour and romance and also some moments of pathos. It's essentially a tale about a search for a serial killer but also it's about a passionate affair involving two people who are both lonely and reluctant to trust each other. Richard Price's screenplay (adapted from his own book "Ladies Man") is sharp and convincing throughout but it's especially strong during the exchanges between the police officers.

Police Detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino) is assigned to investigate a murder in Manhattan in which a man was shot dead whilst lying face down and naked on his bed. At the crime scene, the song "Sea Of Love" is being played on a nearby turntable and the items of evidence found include a cigarette end with lipstick on it, a set of fingerprints and a newspaper cutting which includes a lonely hearts advert placed by the deceased. The evidence suggests that the killer was probably an embittered woman who'd replied to the victim's ad.

When Keller meets Detective Sherman Touhey (John Goodman) who's investigating a murder which was carried out in identical circumstances in Queens, the two men decide to join forces in their search for what appears to be a serial killer. After a third man is murdered in the same way, the two detectives embark on a scheme to identify the culprit. As all three victims had placed rhyming ads, the detectives place their own rhyming entry in the personal column and then invite the respondents to a date at a local restaurant. There Keller acts as the guy who'd placed the ad and Touhey acts as a waiter who collects the women's wine glasses and places them in evidence bags so that the fingerprints can be checked against those found at the murder scenes.

One of the women who meets Keller is Helen Kruger (Ellen Barkin). She very quickly seems to become uncomfortable with him and leaves without having touched her glass. A chance meeting with her some time later provides Keller with an opportunity to get her fingerprints but things get more complicated and his priorities change when he becomes infatuated with her and they get involved in a very passionate affair.

Al Pacino, in one of his best ever screen performances, is totally believable as the lonely, jaded cop who has completed 20 years in the job and experiences a feeling of dread when the subject of retirement is mentioned as he has nothing in life but his job. His wife left him for one of his colleagues, he drinks too much and he's more then a little bitter. Pacino's deportment exudes all these characteristics in spades and it's quite credible that the despair of someone in his circumstances could lead them into a reckless affair with an attractive murder suspect.

Ellen Barkin is brilliant as the inscrutable Helen who, importantly in the context of the plot, shows all the attributes of a femme fatale. She gives out contradictory signals, can be alternately aggressive and vulnerable and seems to have a low opinion of men although she's obviously powerfully attracted to them.

John Goodman is also great as Keller's good natured, extrovert partner and his sense of fun illuminates a number of scenes.

The deep rooted sense of sadness and loneliness which is a significant feature of the characters played by Pacino and Barkin is also reflected in the melancholic quality of Trevor Jones' superb score, the song "Sea Of Love" and the exceptional shadow laden cinematography by Ronnie Taylor.

Pretty solid Pacino thriller

[dworldeater · 7/10 · 8 June 2019]

Sea Of Love is a comeback film for leading man Al Pacino after a a 4 year hiatus from film making. On its release, it was both critically and commercially successful. While, I don't regard this as one of Mr. Pacino's all time best work, Sea Of Love is a good movie and a well made effort in its own right. Al Pacino is a detective that is paired with John Goodman that is investigating a serial killer, he ends up falling in love with one of his suspects(Ellen Barkin) and ends up solving the case and bringing down the real killer, played with panache by Michael Rooker of Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer fame. Performances and direction are good with a little comedy and a romantic subplot, Sea Of Love plays as a suspenseful and classy thriller.

Not good, but watchable.

[bombersflyup · 3/10 · 10 July 2019]

Sea of Love is a forgettable film, with nothing to invest in or care about.

Al Pacino's decent and carries the film, obviously not enough. Ellen Barkin's okay, though a bit butch. John Goodman's a side character and isn't much relevant. The twist doesn't yield anything positive, just a maladjusted killer and then it's over. There's a smidgen of humour in there, amidst all the profane language.