come with me

Sea of Love is a fairly ridiculous and entertaining erotic thriller from the "Maneater" scare flicks of the 80s.  Ellen Barkin is the sultry temptress who may or may not be a serial killer who spins a 45 of "Sea of Love" for her victims.  Al Pacino, in a more subdued mode, plays the cop on the case.  It's no Vertigo but Sea of Love directed by Harold Becker has it's own smoky room appeal.  It has a good cast with one of Barkin's better moments and some interesting supporting players.  John Goodman is a little annoying as Pacino's cop sidekick (his over-the-top "Sea of Love" singalong is deleted scene material) but I guess he provides some levity to the flick.  Patricia Barry as a lonely older woman makes an indelible impression in just a few minutes.  This is also the film known for casting Samuel L. Jackson (he's seriously in almost every movie!) as "Black Guy."  Set in NYC, there are some nice shots of Manhattan, along with a saxophone-drenched score  by Trevor Jones.  It's all pretty captivating until the twist which kind of deflates the movie for a second viewing--oft the fate of movies too dependent on twists.  Still, with Pacino at the helm, Sea of Love is a decent diversion.  ***