Saigon, l'enfer pour deux flics

During the sixties,Anataole Litvak made "the night of the generals".A nazi officer was on a prostitutes murder's trail in Varsaw,Poland:and it seemed that the culprit was a general (check the title).That script was absurd -in Varsaw,during WW2,there was worse,to say the least!-and dubious taste.

So back in Saigon,during the Vietnam war.Two cops are on a prostitutes ' murder's trail...and it seems that this killer is a general....Well you get the picture.

Well,it's not that bad.It's rather entertaining,thanks to Dafoe's good performance.A lot of things do not rise above routine:the two cops who ,of course, are very different,the de rigueur swearwords ,and strip tease galore.What's more interesting is the conflict between the American cops and their local colleagues ,although it's much too superficial,as the Dafoe/nun 's relationship is.Unlike Litvak's Polish extravaganza in which we soon know the murderer's name,"off limits' is a whodunit,saving his identity for the last minutes.

Best moment:although over the top,the scene on the plane where two simultaneous questionings take place gives goosepimples.

Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines play C.I.D. police (Criminal Investigation Detachment) of the U.S. Army. The scene is Saigon, 1968. They are investigating the murders of Vietnamese prostitutes, and the trail leads to several American Officers as suspects. "Off Limits" is surprisingly good, and works on different levels. The acting is very believable, aided by a fine supporting cast which includes, Fred Ward and Scott Glenn. There is a consistently lively soundtrack, and some welcome humor. What you get is a serial killer drama and a buddy cop movie, filmed in a very exotic location. If you are a Willem Dafoe fan, this is a must see. - MERK

In Saigon, during the war, Buck McGriff (Willem Dafoe) and Albaby Perkins (Gregory Hines) are U.S. Military Policemen trying to do law enforcement in a chaotic city. When a prostitute is executed on bed, they investigate and they find a witness – the G.I. Maurice (Keith David) that is scared since the killer is an American officer. However Maurice is murdered and soon they find that there are six other prostitutes that have been murdered but their cases have vanished from the files.

They meet the former investigator that gives a copy of his findings and they have five colonels as prime suspects that might be the serial- killer, but their friend Sergeant Dix (Fred Ward) warns that only three of them were in Saigon in the night of the last murder. McGriff finds that Sister Nicole (Amanda Pays) has a witness hidden in the jungle with the Vietcong and he tries to convince her to let them meet her to find who the serial-killer is.

"Off Limits" is a good movie with great cast and a storyline similar to "The Night of the Generals", i.e., a high ranking officer is killing prostitutes during the war. However, the movies are absolutely different and also in common the manhunt of the serial-killer in time of war. This movie is also a great chance to see the lovely Amanda Pays that has disappeared from the screens. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Saigon - Império da Violência" ("Saigon – Empire of Violence")

An interesting film with an excellent cast.

Buck McGriff, played by Willem Dafoe and Albaby Perkins, played by Gregory Hines are military police officers in Saigon in 1968. Things get complicated when they start investigating the murders of local prostitutes.

The cast is excellent, especially Scott Glenn who unfortunately has a smaller role that could have been much better and more relevant to the plot. Although, the helicopter interrogation scene where Scott Glenn (Colonel Dexter Armstrong) interrogates captured soldiers while being interrogated by McGriff and Perkins is really tense and interesting and perhaps the best part of the film. So Scott Glenn's role nonetheless contributed greatly to the film.

The direction is good, as is the cinematography. The atmosphere is interesting and tries to capture the atmosphere in Saigon during those years. Amanda Pays plays a nun, a rather interesting role in which she did well.

Some things are done awkwardly and over the top, but the film is still entertaining and worth watching.

The film has its flaws, which it compensates for with its interesting cinematography and great cast.

Off Limits (AKA: Saigon) is the missing Vietnam film, a film I feel not many have actually seen since I never see it mentioned on the message boards out there in net land. While I have certainly never heard it spoken about when talk of Vietnam films crops up. The film is in essence a who done it police drama, two cops on the streets of Saigon during the war are searching for a high ranking officer who is, erm, offing prostitutes.

It is the backdrop of the war that gives the film added substance and lifts it way above average, because we see not only the problems a murder investigation brings, but also the horror of war getting in the way as well. Some damn fine and tidy performances flesh out the characters, with both Gregory Hines & Willem Dafoe as our two stoic and battle weary coppers engaging us from the off, whilst the supporting cast of Fred Ward, Keith David (look out for his dance man!) & Scott Glenn are interestingly watchable; the latter of which who leaves the lasting impression with what has to be the best 5 minutes work he ever did during a brilliant interrogation sequence during a mid-air flight.

It's gritty and interesting and deserves to be better known and sought out. It doesn't pull up any trees as regards formula, and it certainly isn't one you will want to go back to time and time again for thrills and spills, but it hits the spot and as the mystery and stifling heat of Vietnam pervades the mood, you will remember watching it long after the credits have rolled. 7/10