1988
Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin,
John Ashton, Yaphet Kotto
Directed by Martin Brest
Reviewed 01/11/01
Robert
De Niro is a great actor. Yes, I'm sure you've heard
it many times before but it is amazing the variations of character-types
he can portray. In Midnight Run he is a former cop turned
bounty hunter. De Niro, as you may have already guessed,
is magnificent in this film.
Midnight
Run which I have seen for the very first time just a day ago
tells the story of a bounty hunter who gets a big job.
As opposed to his regular $1000-range job he gets offered
$100,000 dollars for his next job. He must find an accountant
who was busted for stealing money and was out on bail.
The reason he must get him: the guy who put up the money for
his release fears that he will be killed by a mafia boss of
who the accountant stole the money ($15,000,000 which he gave
to charity). Another thing: the FBI is also looking for this
guy. They warn De Niro's character not to pursue the
case but he ignores them. So now, he must find an accountant
who's whereabouts is unknown. The same guy is also being
hunted by the FBI and Chicago gangsters. That, however,
is not all. De Niro's character was a cop in Chicago
but was driven out by, guess who, the same mafia boss looking
for the accountant.
De
Niro gets to the guy before anybody else. He brings
the accountant, played by Charles Grodin, on a plane but he
is scared to fly so they must take a train. Then he
runs into a rival bounty hunter who wants to bring the accountant
in. Dodging the FBI, the mafia and the other boutny
hunter, De Niro and Grodin travel by all means to try to get
back to Los Angeles. Along the way comes the best part
of the movie: the interaction between De Niro and Grodin.
Grodin's character is very cool always talking very calmly
and acting as almost a therapist to De Niro's character who
is edgy and grouchy.
Midnight
Run I can say with ease is one of the best movies I have ever
seen. The acting by De Niro and Grodin was terrific.
The action sequences were good. And the mix of some
light comedy made it all the better. Though the ending
was not too difficult to figure out I enjoyed the character's
more than the actual plot.
Blair
Bass
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