I liked this film. However much of a timepiece it is to 80's culture, it is still not a bad film. Watching this film makes me want to buy a pastel suit and play Duran Duran really loud. It didn't win any awards and it was said to be a bomb, but it really does capture early 80's culture in a nutshell. It is also high concept, although I'm not sure what that means. Anyway, I liked the mercedes that Gere drives around. I like the music and decor.
The writing is tight. Like other Schrader screenplays it is written like a novel. It doesn't have act breaks, just chapter or scene headings. It is also a character driven screenplay. It focuses on Julian and his struggle to clear his name. The action builds and builds, one scene seemlessly transitioning into another.
The only thing different from the screenplay to the film is the omission about Julian's past as a street prostitute, before he became high class and dealt only with "rich pussy." Aside from that the film follows the screenplay. One plot point develops into another until we reach the climax which is when Hutton declares that she was with Julian the night of the murder. Schrader then uses an ending which is very similar to Pickpocket. It isn't bad. It's very simplistic yet very conclusive. In the end Gere has a partner to help him out the frame. They are truly in love. Who knows what will happen next?
I thought Gere put in a good performance. Yet, I kept having the thought that this was a prequel to Pretty Woman. It seems like the characters were similar. Both were good looking men, well dressed, upper class, with a good taste in women. I know he has played other characters and has a nuance as an actor., I just haven't seen it. Perhaps I should look at some of his other films.
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