Partners in Crime

"Partners in Crime" is a surprisingly good little movie. Okay, you know who the villain is in the first half hour, but the story still contains enough surprises to be interesting. Rutger Hauer (who's one of my favorite actors even in bad movies) is very good as a small town detective who's reunited with his ex-wife, a successful FBI agent. He has great scenes with the actress who plays the ex-wife and with the young girl who plays his daughter from a subsequent marriage. For a film that's marketed as a B-movie action flick, there is actually a great deal of character development and some very good performances. If you're bored with everything in the new releases section at the video store, try this one.

Acting was impeccable. Hauer conveyed his emotions as ex husband and father in a very convincing way. His daughter was also great in the role. Paulina was lovely as always and the rest of the cast did the job more than fine.

Dialogues are sparky, fast, intelligent, brilliant. Landscapes also help.

To some extent, this film looks like a made-for-TV crime story produced by Hallmark, but it was so succesful that I wouldn't complain.

The bad guy came as a far fetched choice, but often they are in this type of whodonits. Seat back, relax and enjoy.

I guess it's a straight-to-vid, and you won't find any great surprises in it, but it's a pleasant enough way to pass a little time.

Rutger Hauer, now about double his fighting weight, plays a local detective who has to co-operate with the FBI's supervision of a murder/kidnapping. It turns out that the FBI hotshot called in on the case is his ex-wife. And he is now a single dad, and has a precocious ultra-cute daughter from a subsequent wife.

So you can see the cliches will fall fast and furious. And they do, especially when all the clues seem to point to: Rutger Hauer!

Anyway, the most pleasant surprise of the movie is an excellent performance from Paulina Porizkova as the FBI agent. She is natural in the relaxed moments, and capable when she needs to be in charge, and totally believable in the role. You know any other supermodels who can convincingly play a top bureau agent? I really believe she will be top actress, and not in cutesy glamour roles, either.

This enjoyable film reminds me of a more pedestrian version of Last of the Dog Men, at least in feel. The landscape is compelling and the performances all around are quite good. The director has an easy hand which works well even with the mystery and pseudo-action sequences. Good job by the young girl that plays Hauer's daughter. Too often these child roles fall into the maudlin, but she comes across convincingly here.

The highlight isn't the none-too-convoluted plot, but rather the interaction between the two leads. You need to suspend disbelief for some of the story line elements, but the reward is a fun film that was made with obvious care. And it is quite refreshing to see Hauer with some decent material to work with. He may play a good villain, but is at his finest when exploring the layers of a troubled good guy.

This one plays like a Made-for-TV Movie with an Uninspired Look and So-So Story. The Acting is Fine with an Exceptional and Truly Believable Performance from Sarah Ashley as Rutger Hauer's Daughter.

The Plot Trots along and is not as Interesting as the Character Relationships and things never Accelerate until the final Scenes. There aren't enough Red Herrings to make it Intriguing, and the lack of Suspects is Unforgivable and anyone would be hard pressed to think that the Frame is anything but, and herein lacks the Suspense and Mystery.

Not a Bad Movie but is so Lackadaisical it hardly ever moves Beyond its Mediocrity. For Rutger Hauer Fans or those wanting a Smooth, Bloodless, and Unchallenging Who-Done-It.