A Great Dramatic and Violent Movie

claudio_carvalho

Johnny Handsome (Mickey Rooker) is a deformed gangster who planned a successful robbery with a friend of him Mikey Chalmette (Scott Wilson) and the couple Sunny Boid (Ellen Barkin) and Rafe Garrett (Lance Henriksen). After the heist, Johnny and Mikey are double-crossed by Sunny and Rafe, being Mikey killed and Johnny sent to prison. A few years later, Johnny is invited to a rehabilitation program, where Dr. Steven Fischer (Forest Whitaker) rebuilds Johnny's face and obtains his parole. Johnny starts working in a shipyard, where he meets Donna McCarty (Elizabeth McGovern) and starts a romance. Lt. A.Z. Drones (Morgan Freeman) is a detective who does not believe in the rehabilitation of Johnny. Johnny's new life is consumed by the desire of pay-back.

The photography of this Walter Hill's movie is very dark, like most of the characters. The excellent cast, supported by a great direction and a wonderful soundtrack of Ry Cooder makes this film a great dramatic and violent movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Um Rosto Sem Passado" ("A Face Without Past")

score 8/10

claudio_carvalho 25 August 2003

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0271644/