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Rating:
The Hungarian Peter Medak (born 1937) will certainly not go down in history as one of the best directors of the twenty-first century, but he knows his stuff.
He directed Harvey Keitel (The Men's Club) and some episodes of successful TV series (House, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Hannibal).
One of the titles that made him famous was undoubtedly Romeo Is Bleeding from 1993. The film was an absolute flop, but critics gave a standing ovation to the acting of the two protagonists - in fact, a real ace up the sleeve of the entire project.
A Gary Oldman - already fresh from numerous successes - shabby and nostalgic, introduces the plot in the role of the controversial agent Jack Grimaldi, leafing through an album of photographs behind the counter of a remote bar.
Jack has a sense of humor. He dances in the garden and smiles while spying on a criminal's nightlife. On his face, grimaces of satisfaction peek through every time bundles of dirty money "appear" in his box. Yes, because he has a double identity tied to illegal affairs as an informant for the mafia. He spends his free time with his lover Sheri (a very young Juliette Lewis) dreaming of the life of the boss he spies on. His wife Natalie (Annabella Sciorra) is perhaps the only character with her feet on the ground and with a bit of reason. His perfect existence as a respectable cop with millions hidden under a grate crumbles with the appearance of the femme fatale Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin). Also successful is the role of the brooding Michael Wincott (as always) as an angry gangster who throws reality in the protagonist's face.
Corporal punishments, money, and sex determine the noir element of Romeo Is Bleeding, complete with a title borrowed from Tom Waits. I find it enjoyable and interesting, with an ending that I don't think is far-fetched or trivial: being aware that this stuff happens to a jerk makes everything unpredictable.
You will find yourself there behind that counter wondering like Jack if she will return.
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