Desperate Hours (1990)

Powerful

Instant Favorite.

Absolutely Brilliant!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Michael Cimino's remake of William Wyler's "The Desperate Hours" (1955) is given the 1990 treatment by increasing the amounts of violence, nudity and strong language and adding colour and a number of beautifully-shot outdoor sequences. The gang leader's character has been significantly changed and as a reflection of the period in which this movie was made, the husband and wife whose home is invaded, have become estranged because of the husband's infidelity. The action starts off impressively and its lively pace is maintained throughout the entire film.Michael Bosworth (Mickey Rourke) is a convict who escapes from a courthouse with the help of his defence lawyer and lover, Nancy Breyers (Kelly Lynch) who'd smuggled a gun into the building for him. After killing one of the guards whilst making his getaway, Bosworth is picked up by his brother Wally (Elias Koteas) and his friend Albert (David Morse) and together they drive off to a pre-arranged location to switch to a different car which had been left there by Nancy.Nancy's participation in the escape is made to look enforced and Bosworth and his gang decide to hide out in a rich suburban neighbourhood until she can join them. The house they pick is occupied by Nora Cornell (Mimi Rogers) and her two children, 15-year-old May (Shawnee Smith) and 8-year-old Zack (Danny Gerard). Bosworth conducts himself with a combination of politeness and threatening behaviour and when Nora's cheating husband Tim (Anthony Hopkins) calls by to attempt a reconciliation with his wife, he also becomes a hostage.FBI agent Brenda Chandler (Lindsay Crouse) who's in charge of the manhunt, doesn't buy Nancy's story for a minute and has her watched around the clock in the certain belief that she'll eventually lead them to Bosworth. At the Cornell's house, Albert becomes overwhelmed with anxiety and decides to leave but is soon found and killed by the FBI. When Nancy finally decides to co-operate with the FBI so that she can be given a reduced sentence, the authorities are quickly able to close in on Bosworth and bring their mission to its violent conclusion.The most disappointing feature of this movie for anyone who's seen the 1955 version is that the tension, claustrophobia and intensity of threat that the family are under in the original are all so heavily diluted in this version. Bosworth's character is also a problem because, as a man with an exceptionally high I.Q., he never does or says anything that's even remotely intelligent let alone brilliant.Mickey Rourke provides the movie's best performance as he conveys his character's unusual combination of charm and volatility so well and although it is generally entertaining, "Desperate Hours" never achieves the intensity or impact of the 1955 original.

Nothing desperate here. Film-maker Michael Cimino would team up with Mickey Rourke again, after the crime epic "Year of the Dragon" five years earlier. But on this occasion we would see a lacklustre remake of the 1955 feature (which was originally adapted from a novel / stage play) with some nice scope (some beautifully scenic Utah backdrops with agile camera-work), but slightly leaden material and mechanical execution starves it of suspense and believability. Here's a glum siege movie (although its more like tedious house-sitting) that never feels all that threatening despite the best efforts by a smooth talking psycho Mickey Rourke and an neurotically edgy David Morse as some criminals that take a family hostage in their home. It lacks a pulse, tending to be limitedly forced and silly in its unreasonable actions. Where it only gets worse the further it goes along. Rocky relationships are put to the test and trust becomes the key factor for getting through this ordeal - for both sides. Mimi Rogers and Anthony Hopkins add some stalwart class. Kelly Lynch, Elias Koteas and Shawnee Smith are decent enough. Although I couldn't stand Lindsay Crouse's overbearing performance. David Mansfield's high-strung music score felt out of place. Glossy, but uninvolved dramatic thriller."You and I are going to be friends."

I am a big Mickey Rourke fan from his string of hits in the 80's. I kind of fell off the bandwagon during the 90's, finding his choice of films to be somewhat uninspiring. Still a great actor, just seemed to be having some trouble picking quality projects. Seeing 'Sin City' brought me back (great role, great acting, great film!), so I picked up 'Desperate Hours' and watched it last night. While the supporting characters could have been better written (Kelly Lynch & Mimi Rogers' characters fell flat), the scenes between Rourke & Anthony Hopkins were wonderful! Elias Koteas as Rourke's brother was forgettable, but David Morse's character of Albert was very interesting. Somewhat like a big dumb 'Lenny' to Rourke's 'George'. Like another reviewer I was reminded of Humphrey Bogart's 'Duke Mantee' in the 1936 film 'Petrified Forest', but Rourke's 'Michael Bosworth' was a little more homicidal and more of a loose cannon. If you like Rourke & Hopkins, you will enjoy watching 'Desperate Hours.'

I'm sick of all these elitist film school jerkazoids posing and preening for whatever opinion comes out of their professors next. This film is NOT the bogart picture - it's a tight little picture about a psychopath taking a family hostage amidst a brazen plan to break out of jail and hook up with his lover. That's IT. Hopkins, Morse, Koteas, Rogers all provide EXCELLENT support, but this is a Rourke show and Cimino's cinematography never fails to let us know it. Rourke is seductive, cool and violent. And speaking of Cimino's cinematography, it's quite beautiful in this film. Grab a widescreen print, turn the lights out, and enjoy.