Cohen and Tate (1989)

Best movie of this year hands down!

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

*** This review may contain spoilers *** *Plot and ending analyzed*Cohen and Tate (1988) is about two totally inept hit men, but it's not a comedy, no, it's played with dark zeal, or at least, the actors attempt that. In fact, they aren't very good, even reliable Roy Scheider is overshadowed by the dismal overacting of Adam Baldwin. It all wears thin and the overabundance of driving will further put you in a claustrophobic mood. The driving scene has the same studio "lights" used repetitiously, also, look for the same car behind the hit men's car, with its lights on.The ineptness of the hit men is so outstanding that I don't think anyone with a brain will believe the scenario. Some kid routinely badgers and harasses them until they all drive each other nuts, and then we get a ridiculous ending that made it all pointless.

Just seen it tonight on TV and wanted to highly recommend it to any fan of gritty, tense road-movies and Thrillers. I won't say anything about the plot, you've already read it, I guess. The director, Eric Red (writer of "Hitcher" and "Near Dark", comes up with a really dark and nihilistic atmosphere and tone that fits perfect to the minimalistic approach. There are very few characters in this one, but they are awesomely written. The dialog is short and kept to a minimum but totally fits to the mood and the characters. The movie isn't stylishly cut or edited, there are a lot of closeups to the characters but so you can really approach the great acting of Baldwin and Scheider. There is not that much action in this one but when something happens, it's gritty, violent and culminates in very tense moments. So, it's not you're everyday, loud and fast Blockbuster but if you like the early works of John Carpenter or Walter Hill, you will surely love this one.

What a find and the 80s have plenty like it. This is a gritty, stark and sparse little b-road-thriller done with great efficiency, as the lean, but very profound script establishes an effective three-way character structure of tight suspense, psychological interplay and blaring violence. What really helped though, were the two performances of Roy Scheider and Adam Baldwin. Scheider's professionalism oozes with confidence as the tactically relaxed, aging assassin, while Baldwin's opposite turn of a young red-blooded crackpot hit-man is tremendously displayed with spontaneous energy. Truly one unnerving performance. The kinetic rapport built between them stormed up many amusing and interesting exchanges and developments, which would eventually go onto help the simple, but taut story flow. Harley Cross who plays the kid who's kidnapped by the two hit-man, does a splendidly credible job too. Director / writer Eric Red utilizes the moody backdrop, with biting tension and tough brutality that always got the blood rising. Bill Conti's nerve-wrecking music score lends well to the atmosphere, and Victor Kemper's openly focused cinematography really catches the eye. The pacing stays steady, but makes way for some explosively bloody surges (as it just doesn't concentrate on action, no it's actually more dialogue oriented then you would think) and cynically chewy and cunning dialogues, before cementing an all-out assault, almost-like a comic-style climax.

This is a rare film nowadays, and something of a hidden gem. Yes, it is that Eric Red who wrote and directed this picture. Many of his trademarks are here - an innocent boy who gets abducted by a bunch of brutal yet somehow attractive murderous outsiders; a dark, noirish feel throughout the film; and of course, it's a road movie. The film opens with a devastating scene that still has the power to disturb and becomes a roller coaster ride into the nightmarish world of two hit men who kidnap a child witness to a mob murder. Roy Schieder is excellent as the the ice-cold Cohen. But what really elevates this film into myth is the war of wills between Cohen, Tate and the little boy who does his best to drive a wedge between them. If you ever get a chance to watch this undiscovered masterpiece, don't miss it!