On M List of Movie Reviews
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Mike's Murder (1984)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
8/25
8/25:
Mike's Murder or...Pete's Paranoia?
Either way, it's a strange choice for Debra Winger despite reteaming with many familiar co-collaborators from
Urban Cowboy such as James Bridges, Reynaldo Villalobos, and
Brooke Alderson. For starters, she was in her prime, having a very successful run hitherto that included the
aforementioned film, An Officer and a Gentleman, and
Terms of Endearment, and this is a big step down.
That's not to say Debra Winger performed poorly. On the contrary, she's too polished for everybody with
the exception of Paul Winfield who should've had a bigger role. It's easy to see the wide chasm in acting
ability between her and a couple of guys: Mark Keyloun (a better choice would've been Brad Davis of
Midnight Express fame because of his charisma) and Darrell Larson.
If it weren't for Debra Winger, Mike's Murder didn't stand a chance.
The biggest running issue is the script. It's weak and doesn't do a good job of solidifying
relationships. An example is Betty's with Mike; exactly what comprises their dating history? Some tennis
and a one-night stand? Given their sparse conversations, it seemed like they saw each other once every three
to six months, and she's all worked up over his death? Betty should be well-advised to move on, even to the
point of throwing Mike's pictures in the wastebasket.
Yet the whole thing is entirely believable, especially the seedy drug subculture in a disjointed city. People
can be this stupid. There's a strong neo-noir vibe throughout. Shot on location in Los Angeles, I love
the 80's style that's doubly punctuated by Reynaldo Villalobos' photography. There's a similar film called
Who'll Stop the Rain with Nick Nolte and Tuesday Weld, but such
stories have become redundant by 1984: a drug deal gone bad, causing a few to be in fear of their
lives by running away from it as far as possible.
All in all, Mike's Murder is a fair low-key picture that pretty much rides on Debra Winger's talent.