Sea of Love (1989)

A detective investigating a series of murders becomes involved with a woman who may be the culprit.

Director:

Harold Becker

Writer:

Richard Price

Stars:

Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Det. Frank Keller
Ellen Barkin	...	Helen Cruger
John Goodman	...	Det. Sherman
Michael Rooker	...	Terry
William Hickey	...	Frank Keller Sr.
Richard Jenkins	...	Gruber
Paul Calderon	...	Serafino
Gene Canfield	...	Struk
Larry Joshua	...	Dargan
John Spencer	...	Lieutenant
Christine Estabrook	...	Gina Gallagher / Lonelyheart
Barbara Baxley	...	Miss Allen
Patricia Barry	...	Older Woman
Mark Phelan	...	Murdered Man
Michael O'Neill	...	Raymond Brown

Storyline

Frank Keller is a New York detective investigating a case of a serial killer who finds the victims through the lonely hearts column in newspapers. Keller falls in love with Helen, the main suspect in the case.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | title based on song | new york city | detective | seduction | 

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Taglines:

Deception is dangerous. Desire is deadly.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prohibida obsesión

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,017,840, 17 September 1989, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$58,571,513

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$110,879,513

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Harold Becker had previously directed two police dramas, both adaptations of Joseph Wambaugh novels, they being The Onion Field (1979) and The Black Marble (1980).

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Goofs

Postcards on Helen's fridge.

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Quotes

Det. Sherman: Think you could go for a babe with a dick?
Det. Frank Keller: Depends on her personality, really.

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Alternate Versions

DVD features three deleted scenes; however, the scenes featuring are not included. The deleted scenes are as follows:

• Keller talking to a man about his dogs on the street.
• Keller and comrades visiting a black family's apartment.
• Keller and Helen at a restaurant.

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Connections

Referenced in Taxi Brooklyn: Black Widow (2014)

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Soundtracks

Sea of Love
Written by George Khoury and Phil Phillips (as Phillip Baptiste)
Performed by Phil Phillips with the Twilights
Courtesy of PolyGram Special Products, a division of
PolyGram Records, Inc.

User Reviews

One of the Best and Most Underrated Thrillers Ever

In Manhattan, Detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino) is an efficient and veteran cop with twenty years on the force, who is lonely and misses his ex-wife Denise. She left him to live with his colleague from the same precinct Gruber (Richard Jenkins). When a killer kills his victim with a shot on the neck and leaves a single playing "Sea of Love", Frank is in charge of the investigation. Detective Sherman, from a district outside Manhattan, joins Frank when a second victim is killed in the same MO. They find that both victims have written poetry in the lonely hearts column of the single magazine "New York Weekly". When there is a third case, Frank convinces his chief to write for the magazine and work undercover investigating the women that reply the advertisement. Frank fall in love for the prime suspect, the manager of a shoe store Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin), jeopardizing his investigation.

"Sea of Love" is one of the best and most underrated thrillers ever. I do not know how many times I have seen this movie since the release in the movie theaters, then on VHS and now on DVD. The classy story is a film-noir perfectly developed, and shows one of the most erotic love scenes of the cinema history. Al Pacino is simply perfect, showing a perfect chemistry with the sexy Ellen Barkin, who is in the top of her career, and also with John Goodman. The soundtrack is also one of the most beautiful of the cinema, and the CD with eleven songs is fantastic. Samuel L Jackson, in the beginning of career, plays a criminal in the story with a minor participation. My vote is nine.

Title(Brazil): "Vítimas de uma Paixão" ("Victims of a Passion")