Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)

A womanizing, crooked cop on the payroll of the mafia is confronted with the reality of his double life after he is asked to kill a beautiful and ruthless Russian gangster.

Director:

Peter Medak

Writer:

Hilary Henkin

Stars:

Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Wallace Wood

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Oldman	...	Jack Grimaldi
Wallace Wood	...	Waiter
Juliette Lewis	...	Sheri
David Proval	...	Scully
Will Patton	...	Martie
Gene Canfield	...	John
Larry Joshua	...	Joey
Michael Wincott	...	Sal
Lena Olin	...	Mona Demarkov
William Duff-Griffin	...	Paddy
James Cromwell	...	Cage
Paul Butler	...	Skouras
Annabella Sciorra	...	Natalie Grimaldi
Tony Sirico	...	Malacci
Victoria Bastel	...	Girl #1

Storyline

Detective Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) takes us through his shattered life after encountering the most deadly (and deceptive) criminal he has ever had to deal with. It doesn't help that Grimladi is playing both sides against the middle. When he encounters Demarkov (Lena Olin) he thinks he can play her as he has all the other women in his life...including his wife. But Demarkov knows Jack better than he knows himself. She plays him mercilessly, all the while threatening to kill him when she tires of the game.

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Plot Keywords:

sexy woman | bare butt | female rear nudity | blonde | female killer | 

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Taglines:

The story of a cop who wanted it bad and got it worse.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Romeo krvari

Filming Locations:

52-32 62nd Street, Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,275,585

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films, Hilary Henkin

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ellen Barkin bowed out of this project because she was pregnant.

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Goofs

We see Mona's real arm under her blouse when she walks away from the roses toward Jack who is on the bed.

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Quotes

Jack Grimaldi: Maybe it was just his imagination, but whenever he'd pull up that plate, he'd hear a... sucking sound. It started out small, with the first 65 grand. And then it got bigger. Pretty soon it was the only thing he heard. Pretty soon, all he could think about was feeding the hole. He didn't think about when he was a kid. He didn't think about the guys who he started who were still on the up-and-up. He didn't think about the dreams he had with Natalie. He didn't think about those Feds lying there. ...

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Alternate Versions

The Australian Region 4 disc, released by Magna Pacific/Becker Entertainment, is the censored TV version. All swearing has been removed as well as close-up shots of bullet hits and nudity.

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Connections

Referenced in Rewind This! (2013)

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Soundtracks

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME
Music by George Evans (uncredited)
Lyrics by Ren Shields (uncredited)
Courtesy of Klavier Records International, Inc.

User Reviews

Outrageously Entertaining!

Probably everyone has one favorite movie that they consider "their own" because few, if any, of their friends share their admiration for it. Mine is this one. I just love this film.

It is only one out of over 5,000 movies have either rented or purchased that I watched back-to-back nights after seeing it for the first time. A dozen viewings later, It's still just as good, if not better. It is, start-to-finish, the most entertaining crime movie I have ever watched.

Being of fan of film noir, those wonderfully-narrated crime films of the '40s and '50s, Romeo Is Bleeding is right up my alley. I may be wrong but believe this whole film is simply a parody of the film noirs: an outrageous take on those movies with an over-the-top villain (Lena Olin, the most fascinating female I have ever come across on film), along with over-the-top characters, action scenes, dialog and narration. It's a wild, fun - albeit sick - ride, not to be taken seriously (which a lot of people did and then thought it was too goofy). Evidence of this film-noir spoof is in the dialog, with a number of fantastic dark-humor lines, many delivered by Olin. One has to see this a number of times to catch all the humor in here. Kudos to screenplay writer Hilary Henkin for her work.

Oldman is superb and its the glue that holds this unique story in tact. His narration, including the exaggerated inflection in his voice, is fantastic. I appreciate the American accent this British actor used, too. Olin, as Russian hit- woman Mona Demarkoff, she is one character I guarantee you will not ever forget. Roy Scheider, Annabella Sciorra, Juliette Lewis, Michael Wincott and others - cameos by Dennis Farina and Ron Perlman - all deliver great performances with lines that, well,....as I said, are outrageous.

If you love the old film noirs, please check this movie out and remember it's tongue-and-cheek.