THE BIG EASY. Directed by Jim McBride; written by Daniel Petrie, Jr.; produced by Stephen Friedman for Columbia. Starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. Rated R (sex, a little nudity, some violence).
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The Big Easy isn't the easiest movie to like. But if you don't mind (or maybe even prefer) your humor a good bit on the dark side; if you don't mind (or maybe even appreciate) steamy bedroom scenes between players with lots of chemistry and sex appeal; if you don't mind a little blood-and-guts violence as long as it serves a zippy and entertaining mystery—then you'll like The Big Easy in spite of its minor faults.
Remy (Quaid) is a second-generation New Orleans cop who dresses snappy, likes the ladies, bends the rules a little, and gets the job done. Anne (Barkin) is a no-nonsense assistant D.A. from out of town who is investigating police corruption. A surprising, but obvious, mutual attraction is present between these two opposites from the start. But the road to true love is strewn with obstacles.
For one thing, Remy's cheerful acceptance of such little perks as free meals at his favorite restaurant, and without having to wait in line, yet— well, that's not really corruption, is it? He certainly doesn't think so, and we probably agree, at least at first. But the highly principled Anne has other ideas. And the movie eventually proves her right.
The movie's humor, cropping up as it does in the most unlikely places, such as murder crime scenes, may not appeal to all moviegoers. But while it may not be as hilariously funny as some of the satire in, say, Robocop, the accompanying violence isn't nearly as gross, either.
One of The Big Easy' s most irritating problems, at least early on, is Quaid's acquired Cajun accent. Although it sounds convincing enough, it is so strong and so different from the way he usually talks, that it's distracting until you get used to it.
Other than that, however, this is probably Quaid's best role to date. He is allowed to make the most of his devilish charm, to be sure. But Remy grows a good deal in the course of the movie, showing vulnerability, anger and slowly accepted self-knowledge as well. And even though he looks better in a pair of blue jeans than any decent actor has a right to, Quaid demonstrates that he is just that, and handles the range of emotions quite well.
Barkin is really delightful, especially in the early going as Anne tries to keep her relationship with Remy on a strictly profesaional basis. In one particularly good scene, she talks to him on the phone, with a carefully prepared list of topics to cover on a yellow legal pad in front of her. At the end of the conversation, she's checked off each item on her list, but she's obviously disturbed about something. We know it' love, but she's still trying to fight it.
The love story angle in The Big Easy is pretty standard and predictable, although it's played well enough that we don't mind. The police procedural/mystery part, on the other hand, dealing with murdered drug dealers and vague suspicions of police involvement, is more original and full of surprises. Some of the twists and turns, which blur distinctions between the good guys and the bad, and even call into question our feelings for the likeable Remy, may not appeal to some moviegoers, who like their plots more straighforward.
But this element of doubt, of not knowing who your friends are, so to speak, is what makes The Big Easy particularly interesting for me. It's an original approach to a basic story idea—bad cops—that's really been done to death on movies and T.V. over the years.
The plot isn't without its holes, implausibilities and strained coincidences. But these are minor defects, especially considering the movie's excellent cast. The Big Easy would be worth seeing for Quaid's and Barkin's performances alone, even if the story weren't also so interesting.
NOTE: this movie made my 10-best list for 1987.
September 9, 1987