Willem Dafoe in a movie? It's always worth it.
Added 7/28/2009
Off Limits (Christopher Crowe, 1988)
You could put Willem Dafoe in a Jim Carrey movie and I'd watch it. (Okay, I'd consider it. Maybe. There are some things not even Willem Dafoe could fix.) Somehow, though, I'd managed to not cross paths with this one until now, over twenty years after its release. What a discovery it is; not necessarily because it's a great film, though it has its moments, but because Willem Dafoe, as is usually the case in his early films (have you ever seen To Live and Die in LA? Amazing!), heads up a cast that is beyond amazing.
Buck McGriff (Dafoe) and his pal Albaby Perkins (the late, great Gregory Hines) are police officers in Saigon in 1968. Not a plum assignment, to be sure. The two of them are navigating a fine line between their boss Dix (Tremors' Fred Ward), who tries to keep them out of trouble with the top brass, and the local constabulary, as represented by possibly-corrupt cop Lime Green (Brokedown Palace's Kay Tong Lim). The two of them stumble onto what seems to be a serial murderer of prostitutes, and helped by a long string of amusing, insane, and, in some cases, gorgeous interviewees, they come to the hypothesis that the killer may not only be American, but quite high up in the hierarchy...
Let me just say this: Amanda Pays. Richard Brooks. Scott Glenn. Keith David. Thuy an Lu. David Alan Grier. Is that a cast or what? Crowe, normally a screenwriter by trade (Last of the Mohicans, Fear, etc.), rarely got behind the camera himself; his only other feature film was 1992's Whispers in the Dark. I'm not sure why that is, because he did a pretty darned good job with this, a loose adaptation of Anatole Litvak's Night of the Generals. The script, also written by Crowe, is that kind of mystery script where plot twist follows plot twist in quick succession, but they're handled well, and the plot is easy to follow throughout. Dafoe and Hines play off one another well, and everyone else turns in a grade-A performance. It's pretty obvious why so many members of this cast went on to fame and fortune in the nineties.
A lot of fun. Check it out. *** ½
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oFF lIMITS
Added 1/7/2009
EVEN,. . . For those of us who spent time in
and around the area of S A I G O N,
This movie is a genuine "Flashback"
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Off Limits
Added 6/5/2007
A hard look at the streets of Saigon, Viet Nam, and a serial killer murdering prostitutes going back to Korea several years before the current investigation. It becomes obvious it is a Colonel which means they better be right before making any accusations. Off Limits does a great job showing those areas that were off limits to military but that almost all soldiers visited during the Viet Nam War. Willem Defoe, Gregory Hines, Fred Ward, Rachel Ward, and Scott Glenn turn in fine performances. Defoe and Hines play CID detectives investigating the murders. Their unconventional ways get them into hot water with the locals, Viet Nam military, and even their own Army. Well worth renting at least and most people that enjoy hard edged murder mysteries will want to buy it.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Saigon Beat
Added 11/8/2005
"Off Limits" has so much to recommend. Masterful direction by Christopher Crowe. Snappy dialogue. Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines riff off each other so beautifully you would think they had shared a squad car for years. Good supporting turns by Fred Ward as the boys' superior, Scott Glenn as a kinky colonel, and Keith David as a promiscuous grunt. Dennis Washington's art direction perfectly captures the seedy decadence of Saigon. There is a big "However", however. The film's central premise involves an investigation into the murders of Vietnamese prostitutes. I don't think it will take you too long to say,"Ah-ha!". Despite this film essentially being a mystery this should not turn you off because there are so many riches to be mined here.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Willem Dafoe does it again!
Added 4/25/2005
Possibly one of the best of the Vietnam war movies that were popular in the late 80's. The story is beleivable and the plot never slows down for one minute. The acting is superb, the story flows well and it's very enjoyable to watch. Let me ask you, can WILLEM DAFOE make a bad movie even if he tried? For my money it's much better than "Hamburger Hill" and almost equal to "Platoon". Maybe they made use of props and sets left over from other Vietnam movies.Bangkok must have done very well doubling for Saigon back then, appearing in "Good Morning Vietnam" as well. Five stars from me, and a BIG recomendation! SEE IT!!
2 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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Willem Dafoe in a movie? It's always worth it.
Added 7/28/2009
Off Limits (Christopher Crowe, 1988)
You could put Willem Dafoe in a Jim Carrey movie and I'd watch it. (Okay, I'd consider it. Maybe. There are some things not even Willem Dafoe could fix.) Somehow, though, I'd managed to not cross paths with this one until now, over twenty years after its release. What a discovery it is; not necessarily because it's a great film, though it has its moments, but because Willem Dafoe, as is usually the case in his early films (have you ever seen To Live and Die in LA? Amazing!), heads up a cast that is beyond amazing.
Buck McGriff (Dafoe) and his pal Albaby Perkins (the late, great Gregory Hines) are police officers in Saigon in 1968. Not a plum assignment, to be sure. The two of them are navigating a fine line between their boss Dix (Tremors' Fred Ward), who tries to keep them out of trouble with the top brass, and the local constabulary, as represented by possibly-corrupt cop Lime Green (Brokedown Palace's Kay Tong Lim). The two of them stumble onto what seems to be a serial murderer of prostitutes, and helped by a long string of amusing, insane, and, in some cases, gorgeous interviewees, they come to the hypothesis that the killer may not only be American, but quite high up in the hierarchy...
Let me just say this: Amanda Pays. Richard Brooks. Scott Glenn. Keith David. Thuy an Lu. David Alan Grier. Is that a cast or what? Crowe, normally a screenwriter by trade (Last of the Mohicans, Fear, etc.), rarely got behind the camera himself; his only other feature film was 1992's Whispers in the Dark. I'm not sure why that is, because he did a pretty darned good job with this, a loose adaptation of Anatole Litvak's Night of the Generals. The script, also written by Crowe, is that kind of mystery script where plot twist follows plot twist in quick succession, but they're handled well, and the plot is easy to follow throughout. Dafoe and Hines play off one another well, and everyone else turns in a grade-A performance. It's pretty obvious why so many members of this cast went on to fame and fortune in the nineties.
A lot of fun. Check it out. *** ½
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
oFF lIMITS
Added 1/7/2009
EVEN,. . . For those of us who spent time in
and around the area of S A I G O N,
This movie is a genuine "Flashback"
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Off Limits
Added 6/5/2007
A hard look at the streets of Saigon, Viet Nam, and a serial killer murdering prostitutes going back to Korea several years before the current investigation. It becomes obvious it is a Colonel which means they better be right before making any accusations. Off Limits does a great job showing those areas that were off limits to military but that almost all soldiers visited during the Viet Nam War. Willem Defoe, Gregory Hines, Fred Ward, Rachel Ward, and Scott Glenn turn in fine performances. Defoe and Hines play CID detectives investigating the murders. Their unconventional ways get them into hot water with the locals, Viet Nam military, and even their own Army. Well worth renting at least and most people that enjoy hard edged murder mysteries will want to buy it.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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