The Big Easy (1987)

"Just relax, darlin'. This is the Big Easy. Folks have a certain way o' doin' things down here."

"The Big Easy" (1987) directed by Jim McBride is a very sexy thriller/neo noir -southern style. I always wanted to visit New Orleans and The Big Easy, "where they do things differently" and its Cajun music are the stars of the movie. Two hot and talented actors (Dennis Quaid at his sexiest) as Det. Remy McSwain, of New Orleans Homicide and criminally underrated Ellen Barkin (Ann Osborne, a beautiful attorney from the D.A.'s office investigating corruption charges against Remy) are incredibly believable in their erotic scenes that make the film deservingly famous. Ned Beatty, John Goodman, and Grace Zabriskie are the part of the first-rate cast in this very decent even if predictable Crime / Action / Thriller / Mystery /Romance

January 14, 2008

angelplustwo

It's a great movie. Owned it for years on VHS until someone borrowed and didn't return. Dennis Quaid is young and looks good. It's a nice romance with a pretty good police mystery. One of my favorites and hasn't gotten too dated as of yet. September 24, 2007

a good bad movie

Four years ago, I acquired THREE separate DVDs of this movie as birthday presents. The respective givers 1.) realized that my birthday was coming up 2.) realized I was about to move to New Orleans and 3.) were at the $6 bin outside the electronics section of Wal-Mart while making realizations #1 and #2. Despite the multiple copies, I have only been able to watch this movie twice. The first time, my mother felt necessary to point out during the sex scene that "you know, honey, in real life, they're exactly your father and I's age." The resultant mental scarring from that kept me from re-watching this until yesterday.

I'm one of what Hitchcock disparagingly called the "plausibles," the movie-watchers who can't get caught up in the action and emotion of the story when there are holes in the plot. (To which I'd reply, fix the damn plot holes, Alfred.) But, I'll start off with what's going right in this movie.

1. The casting is pitch-perfect.

2. The general premise is pretty good.

3. The soundtrack (with the exception of a song Dennis Quaid wrote for it, the type of power-ballad which would be of great aid to bulimics) is fantastic.

4. It makes good use of the on-location filming in New Orleans.

Now, for what isn't going so good.

1. Someone should have told Dennis Quaid just to talk like Dennis Quaid. The Yat accent is a combination of Southern, French, and Brooklyn, and if you can't nail it, don't attempt it. You'll sound retarded.

2. The movie assumes that the New Orleans District Attorney's office is less incompetent and corrupt than the NOPD. This is not true. Pretty much anyone who gets elected here gets indicted sooner or later.

3. When you have the "comic relief" cops impound a boat for no reason in the first scene, it ain't much of a surprise when it's later revealed that said boat is full of cocaine and the cops are on the take.

4. You never see Ellen Barkin drive a car in this movie, yet she can show up anywhere in the city (including the other side of the Mississippi River) at any time of the day or night at a moment's notice. Then, she always either gets a taxi or gets a ride back home with Dennis Quaid. This is only possible if she a.) leaves her car behind for no good reason or b.) teleports. There isn't fast or reliable public transit in NOLA. Also, taxis don't just show up when you call them. Trust me. I know.

5. Dennis Quaid gets called out of a hot date to investigate "a triple murder in Storyville." This movie was made in 1987. Storyville was torn down to make way for the Iberville Housing Projects in 1937.

6. Inconsistency and/or inappropriateness in underwear. This is one of my pet peeves in movie sex scenes. Most American women wear bras under their shirts as a matter of course whether or not they have anything to put in said bras. They certainly wear them under white shirts. They certainly wear them when it is raining. Ellen Barkin can fill out a bra, her character in this movie is certainly not the type to go to work braless, she is wearing a white shirt, it is raining outside...and in the sex scene she is still wearing the shirt, but no bra. It is not feasible to remove a bra while keeping a long-sleeve, button-down shirt on. Again, trust me. I know.

Also, she gets driven home by Dennis Quaid at one point because she's ill after viewing a bloody crime scene. She's fully dressed and trying not to puke out the window of his car. Then, the movie cuts to her vomiting into his toilet wearing nothing but her bra, underwear, and unbuttoned shirt. So...she's about to hurl, but takes off half her clothes first? That just doesn't happen in the real world.

7. Come on. Everybody with half a brain knows Ned Beatty's character's not what he seems. Otherwise, plotwise, he's a completely superfluous character and it doesn't matter that he's about to marry Dennis Quaid's mother.

But, all in all, it's a charming and mildly entertaining movie.

September 15, 2007

The Big Easy

i enjoyed the film as much as I had expected ,from the memory that I had of it in the past. I am very pleased with the service that Amazon offersl August 23, 2007

Exciting, fun movie

Loved this movie. The music, actors and story was great. It was fun and exciting to watch. Wish it didn't have to end. Truly enjoyed watching Dennis Quaid in action. LOVED this movie. May 13, 2007

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