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Someone To Watch Over Me Blu-ray Review

“Someone To Watch Over Me” is a quality Ridley Scott film.

In “Someone To Watch Over Me,” a newly appointed Police Detective and family man (Mike) is assigned to be one of the protectors of a socialite (Claire) who witnessed the murder of a friend by a psychotic killer/criminal (Joey) who apparently has deep connections. As Mike looks after Claire until Joey can be caught or brought down, he begins to form a bond with her. Well, perhaps, more than a bond. Naturally, this puts a strain on his relationship with his wife Ellie.

When it comes to the work of Ridley Scott, films like “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” and “Gladiator” instantly come to mind. One movie that strangely never gets mentioned is 1987’s “Someone To Watch Over Me.” While by no means a flawless classic, this New York set neo-noir/thriller is an underrated work by the acclaimed director. Plot wise, the movie is pretty basic (although it did seem to have some influence on “The Bodyguard”), but what’s so striking about this particular entry is that it perfectly showcases Scott’s talent as a cinematic storyteller. Scott is often synonymous with big budget fare so it’s fascinating to see the director helm a relatively lower budget movie where his tight direction and style shine bright. The stunning and atmospheric cinematography by DP Steven Poster doesn’t hurt either.

Going back to the script (which was written by Howard Franklin), it’s a bit uneven at times. The biggest issue with the story is that the villain Joey is so underdeveloped. He’s essentially just a plot device which is a major missed opportunity. The character could have been so much more fleshed out making him even more terrifying and threatening. Where the script does shine is with the character of Ellie (which I’ll get to in a bit) and the exploration of the two different worlds the characters of Claire and Mike are from. The idea that Mike and Claire are complete opposites and yet found a way to connect really clicked on screen.

Although Andreas Katsulas and Jerry Orbach are good in their small roles, this is pretty much a 3 person movie with Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers, and Lorraine Bracco dominating screentime. Berenger (who just came off of an award worthy turn in “Platoon” prior to this) is a bit inconsistent here with a ridiculous accent and some unconvincing line deliveries. Still, he generally does a commendable job leading the movie as a flawed Detective. The character of Claire played by Mimi Rogers could have used some more depth, the actress still crushes the role. The real MVP here, however, is Lorraine Bracco as Mike’s wife Ellie. Without spoiling her character arc, I will say that she is the real hero of the movie and arguably has the most depth character wise.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? A downright superb transfer all around.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 2.0 track does the job.

Extras:
* “Someone…To Write A Script: A Look Back With Howard Franklin”- A 10 ½ minute interview with screenwriter Howard Franklin who talks about how the story and the film came about, Ridley Scott, his original vision for the story, etc.
* “Someone…To Shoot A Movie: A Look Back With Steven Poster”- A 14 minute interview with cinematographer Steven Poster.

March 17, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Lorraine Bracco, Mimi Rogers, Ridley Scott, Shout Select, Someone To Watch Over Me Blu-ray Review, Tom Berenger