Love and Bullets (1979)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Begun by John Huston, who departed the production supposedly because of that old standby, "creative differences", the action-melodrama "Love and Bullets" is mostly noteworthy for its exotic locale, as well as some breathtaking photography and a super Lalo Schifrin score. The way that it often plays out may lead one to believe that it's meant to be seen as tongue in cheek; it does get silly at times. Still, it's attractive, reasonably well directed (by Stuart Rosenberg), and nicely acted.Charles Bronson actually plays a guy named Charlie; Charlie Congers is an Arizona detective sent by the FBI to Switzerland to pick up a gangsters' girlfriend, a gal named Jackie Pruit (played by Bronsons' real-life love and frequent co-star Jill Ireland). The feds desperately want her to testify against her boyfriend, who's portrayed in a typically hammy fashion by Rod Steiger. He's hired assassins including a creep named Vittorio (Henry Silva) to silence her.Overall, "Love and Bullets" is fun to a degree. It's not really remarkable in any way, but it moves along well and has some good moments. Bronson is in fine form and he and Ireland (whose bimbo shtick ultimately wears a little thin) naturally have good chemistry. Steiger is amusing; in one interesting character touch, he has a stutter. A solid bunch of familiar faces have supporting roles, although some, like Silva and Strother Martin (who plays Steigers' lawyer) are under utilized. Also co-starring are Bradford Dillman, Michael V. Gazzo, Paul Koslo, Val Avery, Billy Gray (the kid from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" all grown up), Albert Salmi, John Hallam, Robin Clarke, and Andy Romano.The movie gets off to a shaky start, but soon recovers, and fortunately isn't too predictable. Fans of this cast should find it to be a mild diversion.Six out of 10.

Charles Bronson is at his best when playing the silent tough guy, but in this British-backed chase thriller he is let down by workmanlike direction and a drearily routine script. Bronson's Phoenix cop, Charlie Congers, is certainly a silent and tough character - just the kind of role old Stone-Face usually excels at - but there are too many weaknesses in Love and Bullets to make it a particularly worthwhile film. Phoenix police officer Charlie Congers (Bronson) is keen to gather evidence on Mob bigwig Joseph Bomposa (Rod Steiger). He learns that Bomposa's mistress Jackie Pruitt (Jill Ireland) is hiding out in Switzerland, so he jets off hoping to find her and persuade her to testify against him. Bomposa, realising that the game could be up, issues orders that Jackie must be silenced whatever the cost. Soon, Congers and Jackie are on the run in snowy Switzerland, with a whole bunch of hired killers hot on their heels. Steiger is in over-acting mode here, but fortunately he doesn't have too many scenes so his opportunities to embarrass himself are kept to a minimum. The story is a simplistic chase narrative of a type seen many times before, and scripters Wendell Mayes and John Melson don't have many surprises up their sleeves to freshen this one up. Bronson fans like to see their man wasting bad guys and plunging head-first into action, but Love and Bullets pauses far too regularly for its own good and viewers looking for action will feel very short-changed. The film isn't a total loss - it has sporadic effective scenes, is always pleasing to the eye, and has one genuine moment of surprise near the end - but on the whole it is undoubtedly a lot less impressive than it could have been. Don't rush to add it to your wish list.

True, this is an "B" level action, adventure, crime film, but it has some genuinely (and surely intentionally) hilarious moments. Rod Steiger chews up the scenery and Jill Ireland has some great opportunities too. The net effect is -- not the slickest film by far, but a very entertaining one.

This is an extremely boring Bronson thriller, one of those movies that nobody has seen, and deservedly so. Charlie looks understandably fatigued, Rod Steiger gives a hammy performance as the gangland boss and Henry Silva plays an assassin very much like the one he played in "Sharky's Machine", only far less memorable. The movie was filmed in beautiful locations, and has a good Lalo Schifrin score, but you'll still be checking your watch frequently. (*1/2)