China Moon (1994)

Director:

John Bailey

Writer (WGA):

Roy Carlson (written by)

Release Date:

4 March 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

He thought it was passion. It was deceit. He thought it was love. It was murder.

Plot:

Detective Kyle Bodine falls for Rachel Munro who is trapped in a violent marriage. After shooting her husband...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Domestic Violence | Aristocrat | Morgue | Big City

Cast

Ed Harris	...	Kyle Bodine
Madeleine Stowe	...	Rachel Munro
Charles Dance	...	Rupert Munro
Patricia Healy	...	Adele
Benicio Del Toro	...	Lamar Dickey
Tim Powell	...	Fraker
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Daryl Jeeters
Larry Shuler	...	Patrolman at Turner's
Rob Edward Morris	...	Officer Pinola (as Robb Edward Morris)
Paul Darby	...	CSU Photographer
Theresa Bean	...	Felicity Turner
Allen Prince	...	Assistant M.E.
Sam Myers	...	Blues Band
Anson Funderburgh	...	Blues Band
Matt McCabe	...	Blues Band

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:M | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Lakeland, Florida, USA

Company:

Tig Productions

Soundtrack:

Well, Well, Well, Baby-La

Derivative but enjoyable thriller

There are elements of Body Heat and No Way Out in this tale of"l'amour fou".Florida cop ,played by the ever reliable Ed Harris,is skilled at his job and dismissive of criminals who he feels usually foul up somewhere along the line He crosses paths with femme fatale Rachel(Madelaine Stowe) ,married to the abusive and philandering Rupert Munro(Charles Dance)and a relationship develops He finds himself drawn into covering up when she kills her husband but he soon becomes the prime suspect in the case.There is a twist ending I openly acknowledge I did not see coming

On the plus side are a clutch of strong performances,although Dance is quite dreadful,with an American accent that strays all over the place and goes missing altogether at times.I still shudder at the memory of his sheer woodenness as "Coriolanus "at Stratford some while back,and he should not be allowed within a country mile of a movie camera ever again.Harris subtly conveys the gradual coming apart of a cool,and proficient pro when in thrall to lust,and Stowe is never less than compelling even when as here the dialogue is a little cliche ridden.Del Toro shows why he has since gone on to better things The movie sat on the shelf a while and I guess was disinterred following Stowe's higher profile after The Last of the Mohicans and Blink I am glad they revived it since it is watchable and intriguing but Dance and a slight flatness in direction by John Bailey,whose work as cinematographer I admire plus the egregious Mr Dance see it marked down a tad in my estimation