christopher-underwood It was great to see this film again, I like it a lot and not just because of the stunning Tom Waits version of the title song, which doesn't appear until the end credits anyway. Ellen Barkin gives just as good a performance as she did in the earlier Siesta and Al Pacino works well with her, if not quite as well as in the charismatic pairing of him and John Goodman, who is on top form. The writing is top notch and with these three actors, the movie just glides effortlessly and we watch entranced with a smile on our face and not a little apprehensive. Never forget with all the steamy sex and joking about there really is a serial killer and Pacino's character seems to be taking enormous risks, because of his understandable infatuation and lusting.

generationofswine "Sea of Love" What can I say, it has Al Pacino and John Goodman in a movie with Ellen Barkin and Michael Rooker. It's as if the people who cast the film wanted nothing more than the creation of an easy link when they played Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.Brando was in "The Godfather" with Pacino who was in "Sea of Love" with Barkin who was in "Diner" with Kevin Bacon.Robert Downey Jr was in "Iron Man" with Jeff Bridges who played the Dude along side John Goodman who was in "Sea of Love" with Rooker who was in "JFK" with Kevin Bacon.It is kind of what the movie does best, gives you those links that lets you work around the over used movies like "A Few Good Men." Going through "Diner" is a lot more satisfying than going through "JFK," but sometimes you are just there and might as well take it.Wait, what does all of this have to do with the movie? What do 90s drinking games have to do with Sea of Love? Absolutely nothing, it was just space filler."Sea of Love" is not a bad movie...but it is one that you have seen before. "Jennifer 8" is the same style but with a cooler ambiance. "The Ambulance" is the same sort of movie with a stranger plot.Unless you are a die hard Pacino fan...and who isn't?...you probably came across this movie on WGN at noon on a Sunday.Sunday Manatee is "Sea of Love" with Al Pacino...because you aren't watching cable so we can't afford to give you something premium.It's that type of flick and nothing more and nothing less.

SnoopyStyle Manhattan police Det. Frank Keller (Al Pacino) is a 20 year veteran. He's not happy that his partner Gruber (Richard Jenkins) is married to his ex-wife. They investigate the murder of a ladies man. There is a record of "Sea of Love" playing in the room. Terry (Michael Rooker) is a cable guy who was at the building. Det. Sherman (John Goodman) from Queens is investigating a similar murder. The victims placed singles ads and Frank suggests catching the assumed female killer with an ad of their own. Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) is one of the woman who answers the ad but Frank is unable to get her fingerprint.I never bought into Frank's theory on the crime. Therefore, I never really considered Helen as a suspect. It makes the whole dance less compelling. Pacino is doing some broad acting. A pairing of Pacino and Barkin should be something incredible but this feels very artificial.

Gatto Nero What a great little "comeback" for Pacino. He had not done a movie in four years! (1985's Revolution)I had seen that "Revolution" and it was bad beyond belief. But here in this one, Al finds redemption.His character doesn't really evoke a hero, because he is a cop who drinks and just goes thru the motions since he is on a 20 years on the force and planning to retire. He is somewhat of a washed-up drunk and you really can't feel sorry for him and no wonder his wife (a deleted Lorraine Bracco) left him for a more stable man(Richard Jenkins) a fellow cop that works at the same station Pacino does. But there in lies the magnificent performance of this fine actor of Pacino as he is. He makes you despise the guy but at the same time root for him to catch the killer.Ellen Barkin just oozes sexiness like never before seen in her performances. She stole the movie for me. She was just that great and real. She and Pacino had great chemistry. To bad they didn't work together more. It would be close to 20 years when they would work together again in the same film.John Goodman as a fellow cop and sidekick of Pacino was just excellent. They both had a real chemistry. Too bad they didn't do way more work together.Michael Rooker as always plays a very good mean, racist and not to friendly guy. They cast him because of his performance in "Henry:the Portrait of a Serial Killer" William Hickey had a great cameo as Al's dad. He has a great line in which he recites a poem his wife, Al's mom, wrote for him. Al uses that same poem and it attracts the woman on the dating service.John Spencer had but a small role and all he did was basically smile at Al's requests and small talk. Christine Estabrook had a nice small role as a innocent girl looking for love on the dating site and being used in more ways than one. Still looking beautiful at her age and at the time, Patricia Barry had a also a small but sad part as a older woman still looking for love. Luis Antonio Ramos, Samuel L. Jackson and Damien Leake all had bit small parts and were memorable in a scene where they are being busted at a sting operation. Leake was spared because Pacino let him go when Leake brought his little son and Pacino didn't have in his heart to bust him at the moment but will later. Tom Wagner has a nice little bit as ,once again, a bartender. And Angel Ramirez has a uncredited bit part but it wasted in the scene.All in all a nice little sexy thriller but very predictable film. But still worth watching for the nice cast involved.