Someone to Watch Over Me

R

Released Oct 9, 1987

1 hr. 45 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

65%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

41%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

After Manhattan socialite Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) witnesses her friend's murder at the hands of Joey Venza (Andreas Katsulas), a ruthless mobster, rookie detective Mike Keegan (Tom Berenger) is assigned to protect her. While working on the case, Mike quickly falls in love with Claire, leaving his wife, Ellie (Lorraine Bracco), devastated. Mike is forced to choose between the two women he loves while fending off Venza, who will stop at nothing to get to Claire.

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Critics Consensus

Its plot is sometimes hard to swallow, but some fine acting and director Ridley Scott's stylish visual flair make Someone to Watch Over Me an engaging police thriller.

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Steve D

You have seen it all before. Now with adultery and spending a 3rd of the movie for preamble.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As far as erotic thrillers go, this one had a lot to live up to after last weeks Sea Of Love (1989) and In The Cut (2003) the previous week. I wasn't aware until the opening credits rolled that this was a Ridley Scott venture, a bit of a surprise considering his general output. Mike, a married police officer is tasked with protecting Claire, a wealthy witness in a murder case, a murder that we see carried out in an early sequence. It's no whodunit; we know it's Joey (Andreas Katsulas, he of one armed fame in The Fugitive [1993]) so the intrigue of the ‘who' is lost early on. Which means the film has to draw us in using characters and other means, and it mainly does. Mike inevitably is drawn into an affair with Claire (it's in the synopsis) but I just don't know why, Mike's wife Ellie and their son offer nothing to suggest he doesn't have a happy home life. Of course, this sort of thing appears to happen all the time and it's some sort of bizarre societal acceptance that this sort of thing ‘just happens' but for someone who finds that hard to understand, I didn't buy the lack of reasoning behind it. Claire and Mike's relationship seems genuine, but it's the how they got there part that raised too many questions for me to buy into it. Other than that Scott's foray into this genre works reasonably well, there are some tense scenes (if a tad too drawn out in some places) and the final confrontation is fine. The post confrontation was a slight problem for me, but to explain why gives away the ending. Worth your time, but you'd be better off with a few cans and Fatal Attraction (1992) or even better, Sea Of Love (1989).

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

cj d

About an hour in I left the theatre to get some more popcorn, something I've never done before, however I kept going out through the lobby doors, drove off in my car and never saw the ending. The film dragged. I was waiting for some action but it was just a domestic drama with Ridley cinematography and soundtrack which is nice but you need some content too. A better Berenger film is Shoot to Kill. A better Rogers movie is Desperate Hours. I won't need to tell you the Scott movies.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This 1987 film from Ridley Scott is something of a departure from his previous films. Somebody to Watch Over Me is akin to a potboiler crime thriller. Which unlike his films previously reviewed, does not go for vast ambition and imagination but settles on a cop thriller that takes substance entirely out of the equation. Oh sure, his trademark of spotlighting and saxophone cues return here, but merely provides the film with a glossy sheen over something entirely predictable. Tom Berenger stars as Detective Mike Keegan who is assigned to protect a socialite named Claire, played by Mimi Rogers. After she witnesses the murder of an old friend, by a former partner of his, over a trust deal gone awry. Mike has a loving wife, (played by Lorraine Bracco), and son, but during his assignment, he can't help being drawn to her and she to him. They dangerously become too involved. Claire is confronted by the madman and is scared of revealing him to the police at the station. Keegan's misguided actions set him free, and their affair is found out by both Keegan's colleagues and his family; leaving him in turmoil. However, that's the least of his problems, the murderer goes after his family in revenge, and so he must buckle down to save his family and Claire from more danger. To say this film is formulaic and predictable is undoubtedly true. From describing the plot right at the beginning, you could easily fit the pieces together as to where the film is going. Mainly what the characters are going to do next and what tone the film is trying to achieve. The film's downfalls are more script related. It doesn't provide a good enough reason why the two should get together. His family loves him, and he and Claire are from different backgrounds, but it needs to create conflict, so getting along it is. Berenger I think, doesn't create a very interesting or memorable character within the guise of a flawed cop in the way that someone like Michael Douglas would have done. However, there are some positives. Mimi Rogers is a hugely underrated actor and does her best with injecting a sympathetic character. Along with Lorraine Bracco, who is just a fantastic actor and really shines here. The film is, as you would expect, stylishly shot. Giving us cues and lighting that evoke a moody atmosphere and is enough to carry you through a relatively familiar plot. Overall I would like to have seen something more from Ridley Scott that makes the film stand out from this sort of genre. But, I guess he has decided on something more routine. A stylishly shot film that does have plot holes but brisks along at a decent pace with some exciting performances as well. Pretty solid.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

This movie was well shot, nicely scripted and acted. The character dynamics worked well and the film was entertaining throughout.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Engaging and watchable thriller.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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Ridley Scott

Director

Tom Berenger

Mike Keegan

Mimi Rogers

Claire Gregory

Lorraine Bracco

Ellie Keegan

Jerry Orbach

Lt. Garber

John Rubinstein

Neil Steinhart

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Even though the movie doesn't leave much of a residue, it looks terrific while you're watching it: Manhattan has seldom appeared as glitzy or as glamorous.

Jun 3, 2012

Full Review

Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Illogical, flawed or forced thrillers are all too common. Ones that knock your eyes out are rare.

Jun 3, 2012

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

A stylish and romantic police thriller which manages, through the sleek direction of Ridley Scott and persuasive ensemble performances, to triumph over several hard-to-swallow plot developments.

Mar 26, 2009

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

While stylistic and nicely shot, it's nothing more than an average, dismissible thriller.

Rated: 4/10

Dec 7, 2020

Full Review

Ángel Luis Inurria

El Pais (Spain)

The movie evinces greater formal values than conceptual ones, and it thus feels somewhat disjointed. [Full Review in Spanish]

Mar 26, 2020

Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

Much of its failure to convince emotionally as well as intellectually must be laid at the door of its director, Ridley Scott, who seems far happier making super-high-tech thrillers like Alien and Blade Runner.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 5, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

After Manhattan socialite Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) witnesses her friend's murder at the hands of Joey Venza (Andreas Katsulas), a ruthless mobster, rookie detective Mike Keegan (Tom Berenger) is assigned to protect her. While working on the case, Mike quickly falls in love with Claire, leaving his wife, Ellie (Lorraine Bracco), devastated. Mike is forced to choose between the two women he loves while fending off Venza, who will stop at nothing to get to Claire.

Director: Ridley Scott
Executive Producer: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Howard Franklin
Distributor: Columbia Tristar, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 9, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.9M
Sound Mix: Surround

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