★ 6 / 10
**_Good ol’ boys on the take in New
Wuchak
**_Good ol’ boys on the take in New Orleans with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin_** A new DA assistant (Barkin) arrives in town and zeroes-in on corruption in…
**_Good ol’ boys on the take in New Orleans with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin_**
A new DA assistant (Barkin) arrives in town and zeroes-in on corruption in the force. While the head detective (Quaid) cozies up to her, they try to solve a curious mob-oriented slaying. Ned Beatty, John Goodman, Lisa Jane Persky and Ebbe Roe Smith are on hand as members in the agency.
"The Big Easy" (1987) has the office camaraderie of Burt Reynolds’ “Fuzz” from fourteen years prior meshed with the milieu and more serious tone of “Cat People,” Eastwood’s “Tightrope” and Gere’s “No Mercy,” the latter of which came out just months before this. “Cop Land” was obviously influenced by it a decade later.
It’s rich with the ambiance of NOLA, including Cajun, zydeco, R&B, and gospel music in the soundtrack. Many praise Quaid’s thick Cajun accent while others view it as overdone. I side with the latter but, then, I tend not to care about accents in movies, so it’s all good (for me). It just seems Dennis’ head detective comes across too convivial, but this can be explained by the fact that Quaid later admitted to being coked-up during the shoot in which he was only sleeping one hour a night. Nevertheless, both Dennis and Ellen consider this the favorite of the many films they've made.
While it was overpraised at the time of release and I’d watch “Cat People” and “Cop Land” over it any day, it’s superior to “Fuzz” and certainly worth checking out for those interested. Aside from the amusing (and sometimes grisly) dramatics, not to mention Barkin’s beauty, I liked the insightful commentary on legalism: If you want to get technical about it, people break laws every day, like jaywalking. But what if you ARE the Law? Where do you draw the moral line? How much is too far? Where is the proverbial point of no return?
It runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in New Orleans.
GRADE: B-
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★ 7 / 10
Decent enough mystery-thriller-romance features good performances f...
JPV852
Decent enough mystery-thriller-romance features good performances from Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. It is on the predictable side but still entertaining…
Decent enough mystery-thriller-romance features good performances from Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. It is on the predictable side but still entertaining enough. **3.5/5**
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★ 7 / 10
Quaid And Barkin Chemistry Elevates A Standard Thriller
The Big Easy is a film which has bypassed me over the years. Having now watched it, i can say with confidence this is good rather than great. Dennis Quaid is…
The Big Easy is a film which has bypassed me over the years. Having now watched it, i can say with confidence this is good rather than great. Dennis Quaid is good in this as usual, however it took me a little while to adjust to the accent he was putting on. Ellen Barkin never one of my favourite actresses was also good in this. Ned Beatty was his usual reliable self and a good small role here for John Goodman. The main thriller aspect of the plot seems to get lost behind the relationship between Quaid and Barkin and i feel the film would have benefited concentrating solely on one aspect or the other. The action scenes when they arrive are merely serviceable and the ending is merely ok. However i did enjoy the Big Easy it is a well shot film and doesn't outstay its welcome. In summary, good not great.
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When she plays, she plays hard. While she's working, she's boss!