'Sea of Love'
Come the wet-ass hour, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wosny Lambre are everyone's daddy!! They rewatch the 1989 neo-noir thriller 'Sea of Love,' starring Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, and John Goodman.
Cast
Al Pacino as Frank Keller
Ellen Barkin as Helen
John Goodman as Sherman
Michael Rooker as Terry (the killer)
Richard Jenkins as Gruber
Samuel L. Jackson as Black Guy (cameo)
Directed by: Harold Becker
Written by: Richard Price
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“Al Pacino does not look or behave like a man who has phoned in his recent performances; he's back with the intensity of his best roles.”
- Praised Pacino's return to form and Ellen Barkin's intense performance.
- Criticized the ending – said the killer reveal 'brings a character in from left field' and the audience is not fairly treated.
- The Yankee fan sting – tricking criminals into a fake meet-and-greet to arrest them.
- The first sex scene – closet throw, 'feel my heart,' 'oh, you're killing me.'
- The speed-dating scenes – Barkin's entrance in the red jacket.
- The shoe store 'everybody's daddy' scene.
- Drunk Pacino calling his ex-wife – 'I think I got appendicitis.'
- Samuel L. Jackson's 1980s cameo run.
- Richard Jenkins being the same age for 35 years.
- Richard Price's New York dialogue.
- Record collecting / vinyl culture.
- 'Sea of Love' – the song, used multiple times throughout the film.
- 'Another One Bites the Dust' at the wedding scene.
Michael Rooker's character as the killer – not enough setup. Appears briefly at 15 minutes, again at 45, then the reveal. The movie doesn't earn the twist. Ebert agreed.
- Newspaper dating ads as a concept.
- Introducing her young child to Frank as 'your new stepfather.'
- The slut-shaming toward the end – 'how many of those dates did you go on?'
- Pacino's yellow teeth and morning open-mouth kissing.
Ellen Barkin not having an 8-episode run on The Sopranos is an absolute outrage.
- Dustin Hoffman was originally supposed to play Frank Keller.
- Lorraine Bracco as the ex-wife – scene was filmed but deleted.
- Al Pacino – the shoe store 'everybody's daddy' scene.
- The discount mafia shoe store guys.
- Larry Joshua – known as obnoxious Yankee fan in 'For Love of the Game'.
- William Hickey as Pacino's dad.
Candidates: Michael Rooker, John Spencer as Lt. Longo, the older woman on the date who gets her heart broken.
- Frank: Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac, or Paul Giamatti.
- Helen: needs someone older with single-mother energy – Sydney Sweeney pushed back on as too young.
- Budget $19 million, grossed $110.9 million worldwide.
- Harold Becker replaced Gregory Hoblitt as director.
- Pacino returned after a 4-year hiatus following the failure of Revolution (1985).
- Interiors shot in Toronto.
- Ellen Barkin – yes, this or The Big Easy era.
- Personal ad dating murder movies – yes.
- The song 'Sea of Love' – probably.
- John Goodman – not yet, Roseanne and Big Lebowski come later.
- Would Barkin's character really recover from being locked in a closet?
- If they got married, her name would be Helen Keller.
- How did Rooker's character know every time she was going on a date?
- Remake with Tinder instead of newspaper ads – 'App of Love.'
- Also discussed as an all-Black cast version.
- Richard Price for screenplay/dialogue.
- Steve Buscemi, JT Walsh, Philip Baker Hall all discussed as additions.
- What are the legal precedents for the Yankees brunch sting – is it entrapment?
- How many cigarettes did Pacino smoke? Bill counted 12.
- Will this marriage last? Consensus: less than 4 months.
- The actual 'Sea of Love' 45 record.
- Ellen Barkin's red jacket.
- Pacino's loafers.
- Pacino's sunglasses worn indoors while hungover.
If someone admits they thought you were a serial killer and slept with you anyway, it's time to end that relationship.
Ellen Barkin. Unanimous.
Craig Horlbeck: two thumbs up. Loved Goodman's chemistry with Pacino and the sex-with-possibility-of-murder premise.