Rush (Widescreen Edition) (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)Every citizen who desires to seriously think about our nation's overall drug policies needs to view the 1991 movie "Rush." I finally decided to do a long overdue community review of this controversial film after reading today's edition of the "Houston Chronicle" newspaper. My local major daily ran a story concerning undercover police officer Barbara Markham alleging to have been fired in 1997 by the Chambers County Narcotics Task Force for alerting her supervisors that a paid drug informant was filing false reports. The informant who was under the protection of the police hierarchy simply assumed that Officer Markham would look the other way when he lied to obtain convictions. An out of court settlement to Markham eventually resolved the matter. Very little appears to have changed since Kim Wozencraft wrote a quasi fictional account about her own experiences of some twenty-five years ago. History merely repeats itself.
I must be cautious, however, not to merely stress the indirect educational aspects of "Rush." This is also a great film, perhaps even a masterpiece, that ranks among the very best I have ever seen. The virtually unknown director Lilli Fini Zanuck put together a fast pace and riveting story. It offers little comfort to those who glamorize drug use. Ditto for the forces adamantly opposed to legalizing such self destructive behavior. True believers of either stripe will dislike "Rush's" brutal honesty and unwillingness to surrender to staunchly held prejudices. Jennifer Jason-Leigh is perfectly cast as the fresh police academy graduate assigned to her first police job. Any previously embraced idealism is quickly eradicated when she partners with an experienced undercover cop played by Jason Patric. The latter long ago decided that he must personally use illegal drugs to allay the suspicions of drug dealers. He now is a full blown addict. She inevitably finds herself in a predicament where a drug lord demands at gunpoint that both undercover officers use drugs in his presence. Moral compromise is not an option but a mandatory necessity. A very fine supporting performance is given by Max Perlich as the snitch forced to betray his close friends. Perlich deserved at least an Academy Award nomination. Greg Allman should also do more film work. Allman is more than apt portraying the wise and cautious drug kingpin. The elected officials and top police bosses are willing to violate their ethics and decency to put him behind bars. The plot of "Rush" revolves around the efforts to achieve this goal.
It would be a mistake to conclude that only Texas has such troubles. Unfortunately, the corruption of the police and court systems resulting from our current drug laws continues unabated throughout our country. Cynicism is rampant and widely held is the view that the end justifies the means; the law should never get in the way of busting drug offenders. The Constitution of the United States is perceived as a document not worthy of honor. Should we completely legalize drugs? It is neither the purpose of this review or the filmmakers to thoroughly deal with that divisive issue. Nevertheless, "Rush" will challenge you. I give it a five star rating. Make sure you view this film at least once. You might even choose to send a copy to your favorite politicians.

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What happens when two cops stop loving their job...and start living it? This 'emotionally riveting,powerful and unsparing film(Variety) exposes the plight of two narcotics officers who cross the line...and become enmeshed in the dangerous but intoxicating underbelly of the drug world.Jason Patric (Your Friends and Neighbors) and Golden Globe nominee* Jennifer Jason Leigh (Dolores Claiborne) giverich, full-blooded performances(Entertainment Weekly) as undercover officers Jim Raynor and Kristen Cates, partners who become loversand addictsas they infiltrate the local drug scene in order to bring down a suspected druglord (Greg Allman). But as their relationship intensifies and their drug use turns to abuse, the fine line between the good guys and the bad guys becomes as blurry as their drug-induced vision.*1994: Actress - Drama, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle

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U.S. Marshals (Special Edition) (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1993, Warner Brothers studios released an incredibly successful movie called "The Fugitive" starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, and based on the hit TV series of the same name. 5 years after the success of that film, the WB decided to release a semi-sequel/spin-off to the film focusing on the further exploits of the character of U.S. Marshal, Sam Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones. It was surprising that Warner Bros. wanted to explore this supporting character further, in fact it was just as surprising that they felt there could even be any chance of success with having a sequel/spin-off to a movie that was completely self-contained. But, the decision was made and Warner Bros. actually managed to re-sign Tommy Lee Jones, along with the rest of the actors that comprised his original crew of deputy U.S. Marshals, and adding Wesley Snipes and talented, yet troubled actor Robert Downey Jr. to the mix. With the cast all set, the story greenlit, and acclaimed editor turned director Stuart Baird ("Star Trek: Nemesis") helming the picture, it was time to see if Warner Bros.' gamble would pay off with "U.S. Marshals".
"U.S. Marshals" follows U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) as he pursues yet another fugitive on the loose. When a truck driver named Mark Roberts (Wesley Snipes) is involved in a car crash, the police reporting on the scene discover that this truck driver is actually wanted for a double homicide of two federal agents in New York City, and has been living in Chicago under an assumed name for the last several months. During the transfer flight from Chicago to New York, an assassination attempt on Mark's life takes place causing the plane to depressurize and crash into a river. As the police officers, including Sam Gerard who was aboard the plane overseeing the transfer of his latest prisoner, struggle to release the prisoners before they drown, Mark is released and succeeds in escaping without being noticed until the next morning. Now, Sam and his team of deputies are pursuing yet another fugitive, but they will soon find out that this is no ordinary case of murder, as the federal government gets involved by sending in an agent (Robert Downey Jr.) to oversee the pursuit, and it turns out that Mark Roberts is a former agent of the very same agency as that of the two men he is accused of murdering.
Director Stuart Baird really had his work cut out for him with this movie, not only was he tasked with the job of directing a semi-sequel/spin-off to a highly successful movie based on a TV show, but he was also forced to find a way to have Sam Gerard pursue yet another fugitive without the story seeming too much like the previous movie. Surprisingly, he succeeds rather well, there is the glaring similarity in that both fugitives only escape due to an accident (Richard Kimble escaped due to a train wreck and Mark Roberts escapes due to a plane wreck), but this can be overlooked as being a necessary plot device to realistically propel the story into motion. Otherwise, I couldn't complain about the direction of the movie, I felt that for this type of movie Stuart Baird did an overall great job of handling the material, keeping a similar tone to the first film, and yet making this one a standalone movie that doesn't require the audience to have seen or remember any of the events from "The Fugitive".
The cast for the movie was terrific. Tommy Lee Jones was wise to return to the character that won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor 5 years prior. I believe that ever since this movie, and even "The Fugitive" for that matter, Tommy Lee Jones has essentially played this same character in every other movie he's been in (with the exception of his role of Two-Face in "Batman Forever"), and still manages to entertain audiences with the same exact performance. The supporting actors that comprised the rest of the U.S. Marshals were just as good, if not better than they were the first time around, especially Joe Pantoliano who was given much more screen time and injected several bits of humor to lighten things up throughout the movie, while still delivering some really dramatic scenes with Tommy Lee Jones. The additions of Robert Downey Jr. and Wesley Snipes to the cast were very good choices as both are accomplished actors who handle both drama and action very well. Sometimes in sequels or spin-offs the new cast members tend to stick out a little bit because they are replacing a cast member that didn't return, so their performance seems to be a little too much like the person they are replacing instead of making the characters their own. In this instance though, both new actors do excellent jobs of making their characters their own, and quickly draw the audience in to their aspects of the story.
Even though I felt Warner Bros. had made a mistake in making this film, Stuart Baird and company managed to prove me wrong, and I must say that I completely enjoyed "U.S. Marshals", and that it was a worthy sequel/spin-off to the equally impressive film "The Fugitive".
"U.S. Marshals" is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

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Ladies and gentlemen, be alert. We are going to initiate a hard-target search for a fugitive in an ever-widening perimeter. We will wade through swamps, prowl Manhattan streets, search every house and doghouse. We'll eat on the run, sleep tomorrow, watch our backs. And since Marshal Sam Gerard leads the hunt, we will experience suspense, action and daring twists every breathless step of the way. Returning to his Oscar-winning role from The Fugitive, Tommy Lee Jones is Gerard, joining an A-team including Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey Jr. and director Stuart Baird. (Executive Decision) to deliver adrenaline-rush excitement. The suspect: armed, extremely dangerous, perhaps linked to a spy ring. The chase: highlighted by an out-of-control 727, a death match in a ship's cargo hold, a 12-story plunge onto a moving train and more heart-pounding sequences. The movie: U.S. Marshals. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Stuart BairdDocumentary:"Anatomy of the Plane Crash" (14:00) "Justce Under the Star" (12:06)TV Spot:3 TV Spots - "Trailer Cutdown", "Sam Gerard", & "Manhunt"

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