Tuesday's Forgotten Film this week is the 1988 comedy Midnight Run.
The film stars Robert DeNiro as bounty hunter Jack Walsh, a former cop who was disgraced by Chicago mob boss Eddie Moscone (Dennis Farina) as retaliation for trying to take Moscone down. Walsh takes a job to bring in accountant Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin) to his bail bondsman. Mardukas was arrested for embezzling money from Moscone. Walsh and Mardukas take a cross country trek, all the while trying to escape the clutches of Moscone, a rival bounty hunter, and the FBI, who want Mardukas to testify against Moscone.
The film blends comedy and action very well, and DeNiro and Grodin make great foils for each other. The supporting cast (including Yaphet Kotto, Joe Pantoliano, and John Ashton) is superb, with every cast member adding something special to the mix. As well as the action is executed, the verbal play between all characters is witty and hysterical. The movie is readily available on DVD and online services, and I highly recommend making the effort to see Midnight Run.
Here is a sampling of the fun the film offers (language NSFW). Thanks!
4 comments:
I didn't quite believe the degree of Grodin's character's basic niceness, if you get my drift (a bit like Eddie Murphy's character taking the punching bag abuse he received in 48 HRS with as little complaint as he does), but otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this one...
Great choice - I love this film actually - the performances are so well done and it just has some of the best use of profanity in a Studio movie I can think of (an attribute that doesn;t get enough respect in my book). Even the Danny Elfman score is a joy.
Thanks Todd and Sergio. This really is a tightly done, well made film that knows exactly what it's doing, with rich payoffs.
Absolutely, hands-down, my favorite comedy of all time. The casting is perfect, DeNiro is fantastic, Grodin is a dry riot, and their chemistry is flawless. And Dennis Farina steals every scene he's in as the hilariously profane Mob boss.
Like you said, the action is done well, and the verbal sparring among all players is priceless and highly quotable. The film even does a good job with character development, such as when Walsh visits his estranged wife & daughter and when he and Mardukas have quieter moments during their cross-country trip.
Still waiting for the special edition DVD/Blu... :(
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