Mike's Murder

I confess I had a hard time with this one.

I am a big fan of Debra Winger. This film was written by James Bridges and produced by a wonderful friend, Jack Larson, Jimmy Olsen of Superman fame.

Given the talent involved, I was disappointed. One reason was studio interference, which you can read about on IMDb. The other reason for me was the story itself.

Jim Bridges was a wonderful writer and director. He's responsible, in fact, for one of the all-time most terrifying Alfred Hitchcock episodes ever - An Unlocked Window - talk about sleepless nights for weeks. I went to bed with a knife.

The film concerns a young woman, Betty (Winger) who works as a bank teller and is infatuated with her tennis instructor, Mike (Mark Keyloun). They wind up in bed together once. After that, he says he'll call, he wants to see her, but it doesn't happen.

One day she runs into him while driving and gives him a ride. Its obvious he's in trouble. He admits he owes a drug dealer money and is staying out of sight.

Okay, someone keeps promising to call and doesn't, and I hear the words drug dealer, I am so done with this person. I know she's young. I was once young myself. I would have been gone. What was she thinking?

Somehow Betty is still interested. He makes a late night date with her. He and a friend go out to make a drug deal. While there, the dealer steps out, and Mike's friend has Mike watch for the dealer while Pete steals some coke. Is the problem that these guys never saw Breaking Bad? What would possess someone to do that?

The next day Betty learns he's dead and tries to find out what happened. She winds up in horrific danger.

Winger is terrific, and Darrell Larson as Pete is terrifying.

The film moves slowly until the last thirty minutes, which are scary as all get-out. I would have liked to have seen Bridges' original vision. However, I had so much trouble with these characters being so foolish, I wonder.

My experience with this film differs from some of those who seem to be objecting to both the plot and the cast.

I thought the idea of a 20's something woman who immerses herself in a quasi-relationship with a person on the fringe of society to be interesting. Winger turns in a terrific performance. Part of the human experience or journey is that one encounters difficult moments in one's life - including anticipating relationships one wants desperately to work out.

Betty is in the unfortunate position of having to view Mike from afar as the latter is caught in a nightmarish world of drugs and deceit. I found Mike's drug partner in crime very compelling. One had a real sense of dread and doom as he tried to "make-up" for an irredeemable mistake. Paul Winfield is spot on as the record producer who has also suffered a loss.

All in all, what we have here is a subtle film which is compelling and which a typical focus group would probably pass over. One good example of why film producers and directors should stay away from them and let their artistic visions guide their actions.

In LA, Betty Parrish (Debra Winger) is dating tennis instructor Mike Chuhutsky. He's a drug dealer on the side with his buddy Pete. They steal from their dealer. Mike gets murdered. Betty starts digging and uncovers a darker world.

It is not a spoiler to say that Mike gets murdered. It's in the title and that is a problem. It also takes 45 minutes to get there which is a long time for the slower part of the movie. I would have liked to see the murder. It seems to be a very bloody affair. I don't think that the movie is holding back on the violence. It is rated R. The other problem with Mike is that the actor is not that charismatic. Quite frankly, there is only Debra in the coupling. I would like a bigger star playing Mike. I just never got into the relationship in the first place. It would be better if he is her brother. Once the murder goes down, the stakes go up and Debra takes over. Pete is fine on the other side. This seems to be a forgotten thriller at the height of Debra' career. At least, it has Debra.

This is one of the most harrowing pictures I have ever seen. It is a very good and very underrated film. All of the actors do a great job in their roles and Darrell Larson gives an outstanding portrayal of a young man who inadvertently signed his own death warrant.

I only wish that this film was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture, best actress and best supporting actor.!!

If you have not seen this film, be sure and check it out--nerve wracking, nail-biting, and an edge of your seat film--you don't know what to expect from minute to minute.

One of the best films of any year!!

Last night, Debra Winger spoke about this film at UCLA. The campus theatre that shows films to the general public was renamed the James Bridges Theatre in honor of the writer and director of Mike's Murder. Debra said that Bridges was an actor's director. The scene in the film where Debra's character checks her phone messages and we hear a voice say it's mom-that was Debra's real life mother Ruth-Debra didn't know she would hear that voice until the moment the scene was shot!

That example really highlights the strength of the film, the acting. All of the performances are first-rate. I was touched by Debra's quiet strength in the face of some sad and even bizarre discoveries by her character about her dead lover. A very underrated film!