Dangerous Game (1993)

From the director of "Bad Lieutenant" comes this absorbing look at the dark side of Hollywood. Vividly raw and shocking, "Dangerous Game" stars two of today's most passionate and controversial performers: Harvey Keitel and Madonna. Product Description

A sound riposte to Bad Lieutenant

You know how Amazon ratings work, so you might understand that I under-rated this mess because the over-all mean was way too high. This is a fascinating film in some ways. It's OK. Keitel and Russo have some unusual acting contexts in which to strut their stuff. It was mean to cast Madonna. She's so awful that the film seems to endorse all the misogynistic violence towards her. Keitel has fun playing Abel Ferrara, perhaps partly in revenge for being Catholicly "exploited" in Bad Lieutenant. I remember when I first saw this in the early 90s right after Bad Lieutenant, the intertextual references seemed very graphic. Less so now, but the film, as sub-standard as it is, has to be appreciated as a reaction by both keitel and Ferrara to their impressive collaboration in the aforementioned Zoe Tamerlis-scripted masterpiece. James Russo is excellent with a weakly-scripted part. Whatever happened to Russo? Such a good actor. Nicholas St. John - a frequent collaborator of Ferrara - shows no real talent in this rather enervated Hollywood lampoon. And for that matter, whatever happened to Ferrara? August 4, 2008

Madonna's Finest (Celluloid) Moment

It has become so commonplace for critics (professional and armchair alike) to trash Madonna's film outings that when she does deliver a solid performance, hardly anyone sees or hears about it. Such is the case with Abel Ferrara's 1993 box office bomb, "Dangerous Game". With a Hollywood backdrop, the film chronicles the agonies and ecstasies (mostly agonies) of a highly volatile and unstable group of people attempting to get a movie completed. As the tensions in the film spill over into the real lives of the actors and director, an atmosphere of escalating insanity develops, turning the movie set into a breeding ground for out-of-control behavior. Although "Dangerous Game" was produced by Madonna's (former) company, Maverick, make no mistake about it, this is an Abel Ferrara film all the way down the line. It is tough, dark, and uncompromising, which is probably one of the reasons why many people seem to hate this film. Ferrara gained earlier fame with the gritty "Bad Lieutenant" and "Ms. 45", so a viewer familiar with those films will already have an idea what to expect from "Dangerous Game".

Harvey Keitel, as always, does a stellar job. Here he plays a New York film director, leaving his family to fly to L.A. and make an extremely disturbing film about infidelity and abuse. Keitel, with his frazzled hair and craggy face, realistically portrays the increasing isolation of his character from his wife and son, eventually sinking into despair and disillusionment. James Russo, as the male lead of the film-within-a-film, excels at playing psychopaths, and here he's walking a fine line as a man descending into a drug and alcohol induced world of paranoid madness. He's a good actor and gives a convincing performance but his constant carrying-on in this film does get wearying. Of course, as stated above, the real revelation comes from Madonna's (pardon the pun) immaculate performance as the film's female lead. She is totally believable in a role that calls for her to exhibit acting chops I never dreamed she had. Too many bad roles in bad movies have, I believe, led most people to stereotype her as a bad actress, but that's really not true. She's done good work in other films ("Evita", Desperately Seeking Susan", "Dick Tracy") but she's won notoriety for "Swept Away", "Who's That Girl?", "The Next Best Thing",and "Shanghai Surprise", and that's what most people think about when they hear the words Madonna and movie used in the same sentence. In "Dangerous Game" she's a gorgeous, frightened, overgrown kid trying to act like a tough grownup, and, in the process, becoming an eternal victim. It's easily Madonna's best acting job, and it's obvious that she had to reach deep within herself to deliver a performance of this range and quality.

The film itself is too relentlessly despairing and depressing. Despite the fine cinematography, there's an underlying ugliness to the film; it's an extremely effective and disturbing film, without ever being enjoyable, and maybe that's what killed it at the box office. Worth a look if you're aware of what you're getting into. July 10, 2008

Credit Where Credit is Due

OK, I am a Madonna music fan, not particularly a Madonna movie fan. This film is a very dark, gritty film that takes a deep looks into the core of the human soul. I must admit it is a difficult film to watch because of its dark style. This is not a film for fans of big Hollywood blockbusters (despite its cast). This is an artists film. Madonna delivers a very powerful dramatic performance leagues superior than any other role she has taken. Put aside your preconceived opinions of the pop princess,and you will be amazed at how she is entrenched in this character. As a reported victim of physical abuse, she brings chills to the role of a battered woman. This film made me believe there is room still for Madonna to conquer the big screen, as she has conquered the music industry. December 29, 2007

endurance test

Uneven. Have always liked Keitel and Russo, but not here. Both stiff. Awful.
Only one person to blame: the "director." Actually, two: the "writing" leaves a lot to be desired.

I have a suggestion: how about starting out with a sound, well-written screenplay next time?

You see, the screenplay is your foundation. Just like you can't build a house without a sound foundation,
you shouldn't attempt to make a film without a solid screenplay.
You, then, only then, build on that with good actors and a director with talent.

How about that for common sense?

And Madonna? To watch this woman try to act is agony beyond words. Not a single syllable that comes out of her mouth comes close to being believable.

Did she invest in this mess? Is that how she got the role?
Not that it matters. August 27, 2007

Who are these people giving this movie five stars? And what planet are they from?

Who are these people giving this movie five stars? Do they not have eyes and ears? Someone please help them because I am afraid for their personal safety!

Since it was too horrible to get released in a movie theater (at least not in the NY area) I had to wait until "Dangerous Game" went to video to see it. I remember when this movie first came out on home-video, I was sooooooooooooooo tremendously excited. I was in grade school and at the time I thought that the sun set and rose for Madonna; that everything Queen Madonna touched turned to gold. But "Dangerous Game" is far from gold, it's not even a cheap Wal-Mart junk jewelry knockoff.

Alarming, awful, horrid, terrible, and appalling are the best words to describe this movie; but even this cannnot fully describe its utter atrociousness. Madonna has made many bad pictures but this is absolutely bar-none hands down the very worst of the very worst. I'd rather watch the bars on stripes on TV than see this dreck again. I believe it was the late Gene Siskel that called this movie, "overwrought baloney." Very true. July 6, 2007

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