Two If by Sea

The basic premise of the movie is the story of two thief Roz (Sandra Bullock) and Frank (Denis Leary). There is nothing new in this movie in terms of plot, great character development or mise en scene. But it is still quite enjoyable due to the great on-screen chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary.

I watched it as I was (I still am) a huge fan of Sandra Bullock and she didn't disappoint. She had quite a different role in this movie as a "Bad Girl" persona compared to her previous "The Sweet Girl Next Door" character movies she did like Love Potion No. 9, The Net, While You Were Sleeping and Speed. Her character, costumes and her interactions with Denis Leary makes it a worthwhile movie for fans of Sandra Bullock and a an interesting Friday Night movie for everyone else.

One honourable mention is Yaphet Kotto as FBI Agent O'Malley, he basically steals every scene he is in even when Bullock and Leary are present.

Roz [Sandra Bullock] Has hooked up with Frank [Dennis Leary, a small time crook who is always looking for that big job to retire on] who is fed up with him not treating her as a lady, she reluctantly ends up in this little coastal town to do a deal with the stolen painting on their last job, where they try to fit in among the residents living there, when Roz finds how the other half live and likes it, she also finds a love.

A very funny romantic comedy, look out for the scene Sandra's getting changed, and on the bed with Dennis.

Denis Leary: One of the greatest Irish American comedian/actors to emerge in the Nineties.

Sandra Bullock: One of the most engaging actresses to emerge around the same time.

When they appeared in Demolition Man in 1993, there was little chance to see any chemistry between the pair for all the big bangs and special effects. They rarely shared any scenes together which made matters worse.

So when this movie put them together three years later, the going looked good. Great Nova Scotia scenery and a screenplay partly written by Leary looked promising.

Alas, while both stars are still great, the script and pacing lacks a lot. As a fan of both stars, I could only watch half an hour before I had to go to bed.

The fact that I saw it after the dreadful Speed 2 made it a little easier to palate, but not much.

If you want to see a great movie involving Leary and a stolen painting watch The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) instead.

I am a big fan of Denis Leary, and I thought this was a damn funny movie. The plot is cut-and-dry (the little plot that exists), but it works out nicely as a comedy, mostly due to Leary's funny dialogue and humorous arguments between him and Bullock. I think Bullock was miscast, though. She did an OK job, but her accent drifted many times. If you like Leary, you'll probably have a great time. I especially loved the scene where Leary was going fishing and he shoots one of the fish. Then he cooks it up, serves it up to Bullock and she spits out a bullet. That was classic. But for non-Leary fans...you might not enjoy it as much. I don't consider him an acquired taste, but his foul-mouthed banter doesn't appeal to everyone.

The story is nothing new, the acting ain't that great, but "Two if by Sea" has its moments. It's an entertaining little movie, and Sandra Bullock's mixture of charm, sarcasm, and innocence play out well. The movie knows it's not too sophisticated or shrewd (even the cop says of his own investigation, "this is too easy") and it's a great film to watch on an afternoon or just to be entertained. If you're a Sandra fan, you'll like it no matter what. :)