Chicago Joe and the Showgirl (1990)

FATAL ATTRACTION meets BONNIE AND CLYDE in "Chicago Joe and the Showgirl"

Man was this one disturbing movie. If it wasn't positively 100% true I may not have reacted so strongly,but this film IS true with no characters or events altered.Sometimes real life is better than Hollywood.Let me explain.

CHICAGO JOE AND THE SHOWGIRL is a sober a chilling account of a Yank and a showgirl over a five day period in 1944 War ravaged London.It is the faithful retelling of two people,one "Chicago Joe" a.k.a. Ricky Allen (Kiefer Sutherland) who is a self- agrandized wannabe thug living out this "double life" as an American Army Lieutenant and "Georgina"(Emily Lloyd) a two-bit London showgirl with delusions of being Barbara Stanwyck.These two meet on October 3,1944 and for the next five nights go on a joyride spree that becomes increasingly dangerous to the point of killing.This is the ultimate "I dare you to do it" film. As Sutherland's Ricky becomes increasing unsure of what and why he is in this "relationship", Lloyd's Georgina becomes a positive sociopath and is absolutely bone-chilling in this role.She smiles as she sees blood and watches people suffer.It is unnerving at best.

Director Bernard Rose whose later successes include IMMORTAL BELOVED,CANDYMAN,ANNA KARENINA and TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. cleverly styles this film after the famous gangster/femme fatale "noir" films of the Era.At times the viewer is not sure what is true and what is cinema just like the dilemma of the two main characters who begin to obscure reality and fantasy.This is a darkly filmed and darkly portrayed piece of modern day "noir" and is cleverly built up to a most surprising climax (that totally surprised me!)

A really neat and nifty piece of work.A second viewing makes it all the more interesting.Emily Lloyd is really creepy. October 21, 2007

One of Kiefer Sutherland's best roles

In 1944, 5 days of a wild mad-love ride, result in a public hanging in England. A wanna-be showgirl and an American service man in London connect into a dangerous union fueld by fantasy and recklessness. If ever there is a prime example that what we believe to be "love" is only a form of "mania" ... this based on a true story film is a perfect case in point. April 16, 2006

VERY UNUSUAL

AN UNUSUAL FILM WHICH VACILLATES BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE FILM STORY WAS REALLY TRUE OR NOT (EVEN THOUGH THE OPENING SAYS IT IS) UNTIL THE LAST SEGMENTS OF THE PICTURE.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY KIEFER SUTHERLAND February 13, 2000

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