IN
THE LINE OF FIRE (15)
D: Wolfgang Petersen
Columbia/Rose/Castle Rock (Jeff Apple)
US 1993
123 mins
Thriller
W: Jeff Maguire
DP: John Bailey
Ed: Anne V. Coates
Mus: Ennio Morricone
PD: Lilly Kilvert
Clint Eastwood (Frank Horrigan), John
Malkovich (Mitch Leary), Rene Russo (Lilly Raines), Dylan McDermott (Al D'Andrea), Gary Cole (Bill Watts), Fred Dalton Thompson (Harry Sargent), John Mahoney (Sam Campagna)
30 years after he failed to prevent the assassination of John
F. Kennedy, secret service agent Frank Horrigan uncovers a new plot to assassinate the president, this time by an ex-CIA hitman and expert master of disguise.
Great performances and a brilliantly written script fly this
far above the average cat-and-mouse thriller, with John Malkovich bringing humanity and intellect to a psychopathic character. Clint Eastwood also brings much charisma to the part of Horrigan, a
veteran agent well into his twilight years. If released in a different year, it's quite possible this film could have snagged a few Oscars (it received 3 nominations including Best Original
Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Malkovich).
8/10