After Dark, My Sweet (1990)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

James Foley

Writers (WGA):

Jim Thompson (novel)
Robert Redlin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Seduced beyond the limits of deception. Betrayed beyond the limits of desire.

Plot:

An ex-boxer is drifting around after escaping from the mental hospital. He meets a widow who convinces...

Plot Keywords:

Neo Noir | Femme Fatale | Female Nudity | Kidnapping | Gay Interest

Cast

Jason Patric	...	Kevin 'kid' Collins
Rocky Giordani	...	Bert
Rachel Ward	...	Fay Anderson
Bruce Dern	...	Garrett "Uncle Bud" Stoker
Tom Wagner	...	Counterman
Mike Hagerty	...	Truck Driver (as Michael G. Hagerty)
James E. Bowen Jr.	...	Second Driver
George Dickerson	...	Doc Goldman
Napoleon Walls	...	Boxing Referee
Corey Carrier	...	Jack
Jeanie Moore	...	Nanny
James Cotton	...	Charlie
Burke Byrnes	...	Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vincent Mazella Jr.	...	Flashback Fighter (as Vince Mazzella Jr.)
Thomas Wagner

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Indio, California, USA

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Quotes:

Kevin 'kid' Collins: [voiceover] When a man stops caring what happens, all the strain is lifted from him. Suspicion and worry and fear, all things that twist his thinking out of focus are brushed aside, and he can see people exactly as they are at last - as I saw Fay then: weak and frightened but basically as good as a person could be and hating herself for not being better...

Boxer takes it out of the ring.

Ex-boxer turned drifter, Kid Collins (Patric), wafts his way into the life of a con-man and a drunk. Wanting to stay below the radar, Collins takes refuge with a woman that trades shelter for work. The death of her husband has plummeted her into a world of alcohol and rage. As Collins begins to build a relationship with her, she shares with him details of a kidnapping plan that her and her 'Uncle' have been working on. Thinking that Collins is nothing more than a mental lackey, they persuade him to help with the diabolical plan. Little do they know that the monsters struggling inside Collins' mind are about to be unleashed onto the world. As the plan begins to disintegrate before their eyes, loyalties are lost, and nobody can be trusted.

What an amazing find! When I began watching this film I was not expecting to be so surprised. Jason Patric is spectacular in this film and demonstrates powerfully his ability to control and maintain a troubled character. I never once felt that he had stepped out of character during this performance. This is due in part to the exceptional direction by James Foley that creates a story so imaginative and real that you begin to feel as if this could be a town next to yours. Foley gives us flawed characters that take away that image of perfection and helps build deeper emotional ties. Foley also never gives anything away. Throughout this entire film, I never knew what was going to happen next. This is surprising for a Hollywood notorious for 'jumping the gun'.

Patric's performance with Foley's direction coupled with a completely terrifying secondary characters (like Bruce Dern and Rachel Ward), After Dark My Sweet is a true diamond in the rough.

Grade: ***** out of *****