A Lua dos Amantes

Happened to catch this thriller on cable yesterday night. I am not a fan of Ed Harris but I can say that he is a good actor putting up a decent performance in this show.

It also goes to show that you do not necessary need to have awesome special effects, elaborate sets or costumes to make a movie captivating. Just a good story plot (keeping in mind that the audience are not morons or idiots) and a few good actors/actress is just enough to keep people glued to their seats.

It is really rare to find such movies lately. Really hope to see such movies that will keep people thinking what will come next, as the saying goes, its the story that counts and not blow-your-mind-but-forgot-about-it special effects or actors/actress or is that cardboards walking down the aisle with pretty clothes trying to act etc, etc.

Just intelligent story telling which people will still talked about it when they leave the threaters.

41. CHINA MOON (thriller, 1994) Homicide Det. Bodine (Ed Harris) is a veteran of the force who knows the ins and outs of every crime scene. He meets Rachel (Madeline Stowe), a beautiful woman whose sensual charms he falls under. They begin a steamy relationship. But then he finds out she's married to an abusive and powerful man. Sensing her infidelity he confronts her, and in an act of self-defense she kills him. She seeks Bodines' help. But will he bring her to justice or help the woman he loves?

Critique: Nifty little thriller borrows from the film-noir tradition. The solid screenplay by Roy Karlson introduces many elements of the genre. There's the honest cop who falls for the habitual 'femme-fetal', and the violent husband as 'middle-man' who ends up dead. But just when you think things are headed into conventional plotting, there's a twist.

Good direction by first-timer John Bailey elicits excellent acting all around. Ed Harris gives another powerhouse performance, Madeline Stowe plays the would-be 'femme fatale' role beautifully, as well as an array of solid supporting actors including Benicio del Toro (who reminded me of James Dean in his younger days). Great ending too.

QUOTE: Kyle: "You were just fV@*!ng me weren't you?! I was loving you and you were fV#!ing me!"

A nice little thriller with a twist. Charles Dance wasted again, this time with the most ridiculous Southern accent. I like Ed Harris in just about anything, so he got me through this one. Stowe is good; I have also liked her in other movies where you have to pay attention to the dialog. I have lately discovered that del Toro has been around much longer than I realized - it is nice to see his early work as an indication of the presence he has on-screen. The comparisons to "Body Heat" are understandable - but I think this one stands on its own as one way to spend an evening with a movie that you actually watch to see what happens.

China Moon was unexpectedly good. Whodunits usually aren't my favorites, but this one held my interest. The story has enough going for it to make for a solid mystery. Even though you know who killed whom, you're left second-guessing yourself as to motives and alliances until the very end.

There are enough twists and turns to keep you off-balance, but without the story confusion that often accompanies that kind of plot complexity. A surprise final scene provides a satisfying closure. The murder and resulting forensics are on the bloody side, but it's not out of place in the story line. Harris and Stowe turn in believable performances, making for an overall rating of 7 out of 10 stars.

I've rented a few movies lately that have been alright but have failed to really catch my attention. This, however, was different. First of all, it's film noir, and you gotta love film noir. "Palmetto", "Body Heat", "Double Indemnity", "The Big Sleep". A good guy gets screwed by a beautiful temptress. Only, in "China Moon" it's different. I won't tell the ending or any details. But this was a very well executed film, very suspenseful. It doesn't follow any cliches and it always has new tricks and twists. Like a lot of film noir, this film features heat, wetness, the night, and cops. A lot of movies attempt film noir but don't always achieve its true spark. This film achieves it.