China Moon (1994)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Sadly Over-hyped

How sad is this?

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

To me, the ending was like they didn't know how to end the story, so lets just kill them. But Ed Harris is wonderful and so sexy in this movie. I've watched it many times! The rest of the cast is great as well.

I just love Madeleine Stowe ( Cora in Last of the Mohicans ). In this movie she is the Irish blind violin player from NY, who has been suddenly attacked by serial killer. Ed Harris is smooth Cop, trying to protect her and bring to justice the violator. But, the problem is that she's blind. in the end the justice is served. I don't believe in law, but the order. Twisted killers don't deserve to be in jails. All they deserve is six feet under. I was really happy when i've watched this movie until it's very end. Love between man and the woman is stronger than life as itself.

Film Noir strikes again! This film is a great example of the classic Film Noir plot: Murder and conspiracy to defraud an insurance company. Not unlike the previous films Body Heat (Deluxe Edition) (1981) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 and 1981) or even Double Indemnity(1944), China Moon never ceases to surprise us with plot twists. The difference is that Ed Harris is a murder detective but doesn't know what he's up against. He's put in the position to cover up a murder that he didn't commit but would ultimately implicate him. But the killer isn't telling him everything...Stowe is a great femme Fatale in this early 90's film starring Benicio Del Toro and Wayne Shorter. In a city where the majority of city blocks are occupied by industrial sectors of DeDonde Inc., conspiracies are frequently started for various reasons. In a town where cops help criminals and criminals help cops, Ed Harris is up against a web of deceit and confusion. He's the best man for the job, but is the "job" designed to frame him for MURDER? Madeline Stowe isn't telling him everything, and his detective partner Del Toro may have some cards up his sleeve as well.Shorter is a local bar owner who sees it all, trying to help Harris before it's too late without letting Del Toro know the score, not to mention Stowe. With the help of a local inventor-gone-mad, Shorter is given a device that will help Ed Harris freeze time and therefore understand why all evidence points to him as the killer. (The device was intended for DeDonde Inc.) But Shorter is also double-crossed when MICHAELmATICIAN uses the device against him at the bar (in an effort to win a game of pool). Will Harris beat the rap? Will Shorter prove that it was Stowe? China Moon is real, as is the Michrotron. MICHAELmATICIAN states that we must learn to see the Michrotron at once. China Moon is also recommended.2.342 (Jeremy Shingles)

"China Moon" is a steamy thriller that begins modestly with a number of typical film noir components which lead the audience into believing that they know what's going to follow. The reality, however, is that the plot departs from the conventional "Double Indemnity" template and ultimately leads to a twist which is both original and unexpected. There's a great deal to enjoy in this story of passion, treachery and murder including a superb performance by Ed Harris, some beautiful visual moments and even some great blues music by the excellent Anson Funderburgh and The Rockets.Kyle Bodine (Ed Harris) is an ace detective who's extremely adept at examining murder scenes, deducing how the crime was committed and then identifying clues about the nature of the perpetrator. He's a decent man who's well respected by his colleagues but he's also lonely and sometimes arrogant. His powers of observation are normally exceptionally strong but he doesn't see what's coming when he meets and then gets seduced by the beautiful and mysterious Rachel Munro (Madeleine Stowe).Rachel is married to a rich banker called Rupert (Charles Dance) who's a serial adulterer and wife beater. During a particularly heated confrontation with her husband, Rachel shoots and kills him in self defence and then persuades Kyle to assist her in disposing of the body and covering up the evidence of what has happened. Kyle carries out these tasks with his usual efficiency but problems arise when the body is discovered and his rookie partner Lamar Dickey (Benicio del Toro) discovers some clues which lead to the finger of suspicion being pointed at Kyle.Ed Harris looks perfectly comfortable in his portrayal of Kyle's unassuming demeanour and is totally believable as he becomes passionate about Rachel and then increasingly desperate as he tries to prove his innocence. Madeleine Stowe shows the despondency which has overtaken Rachel as a consequence of suffering years of abuse in a loveless marriage but at other times it seems that her depression has made her unresponsive and difficult to read. This type of inscrutability is a classic trait of the femme fatale but Rachel doesn't fall unequivocally into that category as she is clearly a more sympathetic character than the conventional noir archetype.Charles Dance is good at conveying just how violent and despicable Rupert is but his attempt at a southern accent is lamentable. Benicio del Toro gives an interesting performance as a detective who initially shows a number of significant deficiencies in his range of abilities but then later in the story surprisingly seems to acquire a much better grasp of the skills needed to investigate a homicide.The visual style of this movie with its beautiful settings and wonderful shots of the lake at night contributes strongly to the overall mood and is a great credit to the work of cinematographer Willy Kurant.