No Way Out - Es gibt kein Zurück

The last quarter drags on a little too long, and the characters and their decisions often seem unrealistically erratic, but it all comes together in the end. I was surprised this movie was able to pay off so well. The finale comes out of nowhere, but it provides the plot and main character some depth.

Music is corny though. Some of it sounds like it was made for a bad '80s TV show. That's my lone complaint.

This film is a taut thriller and has a very good pairing of Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman in a story of a cover-up and murder. Sean Young is the tragic figure who falls for Costner and sets in motion the wheels that make this picture one of the best of its type. Plot twists and suspense are highlighted by great acting, and as the cover-up unravels, Costner finds himself in increasing danger in the halls of the Pentagon. Will Patton and George Dzunda are solid in support of the leads although Patton is a bit over the top as Hackman's attack dog. This fine film is marred by an ending that doesn't connect with the film's plot or pulse and gives the picture an awkward, unsatisfying conclusion. Costner is the hero but it is Hackman who makes this picture as good as it is.

A solid thriller. Costner and Hackman on good form. The tension is skilfully ratcheted up, particularly after the slow-ish start (the first third of the movie establishes the groundwork but isn't that interesting in itself). The twists and turns are neatly handled and the plot sticks to the landing without losing itself to excessive silliness. Good stuff!

But that scene where Costner and Sean Young get it off in the back of the car to the smooth sounds of an 80's power ballad is amongst the most horrifically cliched 80's sex scenes you'll ever see in a movie. Just when it can't get any worse: the saxophone comes in! Thankfully it doesn't hijack the rest of the movie.

No Way Out is a political thriller about a man who is hired to work for the Secretary of Defense, but he finds himself in a sticky situation that could lead to him being accused of treason and subsequently being killed. I do enjoy tense thrillers where the hero is stuck in a difficult position and has to continuously avoid being caught. They constantly keep you on your toes, and I love those moments where you don't know what he can do next. There were several times that I felt his way of stalling the inevitable in this film was a bit cheesy and unrealistic, but within the logic of the film it worked well enough. For the sake of avoiding spoilers I won't delve into how much more the logic breaks down by the end, but needless to say this isn't exactly the smartest movie I've ever seen, but that didn't stop the thrilling aspects from being fun to watch.

What was less fun to watch was about the first 30 minutes or more of the film. This movie takes its time in setting things up, and exploring the romance between Kevin Costner and Sean Young. This kind of graphic detail isn't necessary for me, and I was starting to wonder if I was watching the right movie since it felt more like a romantic drama. There are certainly moments throughout all this courting that are important because they come back as things that might reveal the truth about Costner, but I didn't need the amount of time they spent detailing the romance just for those few small pieces of information. Once the inciting incident occurred, and the actual story got rolling, I had some good fun with No Way Out, I only wish they got us there sooner. No Way Out is still a decent movie, and one I might watch again to see how the story is changed by knowing how it ends.

The music was truly awful- typical 80s electronic trash, which immediately dates the film. I love movie music but this surely could have been done so much better. Shame, really, because it wasn't too bad a movie!