Narrow Margin (1990)

Very suspenseful movie for someone who has moved beyond Steven Segal and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Requires a certain number of neurons to be firing at the same time to really enjoy it. Gene Hackman's performance has been under appreciated. It exceeds his portrayal of Popeye Doyle in The French Connection and its sequel. This character is tough, but a lot more likable. The repartee between his character and the assassin is excellent, but as I said previously, does require some finesse.

Fmovies: For once, the remake is better than the original. Richard Fleischer's black and white movie has many fans, and rightly so, but the 1990 version really has something to it that makes me watch it again and again. The story and the characters have largely improved, and someone really had a lucky hand with the casting here. Gene Hackman gives a great performance as the loudmouth police detective who finds out that he is not as smart as he had thought. He is on his own, he is scared and he also has a bad conscience. Along with numerous action scenes he shows all these sentiments, the viewers can really feel with him. The same can be said for Anne Archer, together with Hackman she makes a formidable team. She is really perfect for the part of an upper middle class businesswoman who is looking for some romance and suddenly finds herself on the hit list of the mob. A formidable opening scene with a short but really great performance by J.T. Walsh sets the tone, and the tension never loosens.

A very important part is also played by the landscape, a remote, idyllic part of Western Canada, I believe. The director successfully succeeded in putting a romantic scenery opposite to the harrowing plot, the hectic action which has nothing to do with its immediate surroundings. Nature is depicted in its friendliest forms of appearance as an innocent bystander. Everything is so normal, so lovely, except ...

A few weeks ago my Aunt (a very nice woman) gave me a copy of Narrow Margin DVD, which was free with the Daily Mail. I had not heard of this film before but was pleased to see that Gene Hackman was in it so I thought I would give it a go in the machine and I must say I'm glad I did.

NARROW MARGIN DVD Narrow Margin (1990) is basically about Carol Hunnicut (Anne Archer) who witnesses a mob killing of her blind date and goes on the run,hiding in a remote part of Canada. L.A. District Attorney Robert Caulfield (Gene Hackman) is informed of her whereabouts by a close friend who then tracks her down to testify but it's not to long before the Mob (bad guys) find out where she is too. Both the cop and the witness are chased through the Canadian Rockies, where their only hope is to take refuge on a claustrophobic Vancouver-bound train. Caulfield (Hackman) is then double crossed by a bent cop and so the killers know there every movement on board the train.

The talented Gene Hackman plays his part extremely well as so does the reluctant witness Anne Archer,who both help make this a compelling and an enthralling film to watch. The chase whilst there on the train is very exciting with great scenic mountain views in the background. Here is a link from IMDb showing a clip of the chase on the roof of the train which is well worth watching in my opinion. http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1083965721/

I must say I did enjoy watching Narrow Margin, although I noticed some of the shots/special effects of the speeding Vancouver-bound train looked like plastic scaled models (I'm sure I'm right). The story is fair perhaps a bit simple but I suppose most films revolving around a train chase are. As I said if Gene Hackman was not in this film or someone to match his caliber this film would spell out a big MISS. Yes you could say this is yet another chase film/movie but may I say it's certainly fun to watch.

SUMMARY Narrow Margin DVD is an exciting film and one I would recommend watching first before you go out and buy it full price. Gene Hackman's performance is top notch and with the help of Peter Hyams (Director) they successfully succeeded in making this a very compelling film to watch and appreciate,especially the gripping chase on the train. I am pretty sure most of you will enjoy the fast pace through out the film and at 94 mins there's never a dull moment. 6.6/10

Narrow Margin fmovies. This tense,taut thriller deals about a D.A. protecting a witness(Anne Archer) on a train journey throughout the wilderness Canadian Rockies back to Los Angeles.He must save her from deadly killers (Nigel Bennet, James B. Sikking). Hackman fights to keep them both safe from the hard-boiled hit-men in some exciting pursuits such as helicopters and aboard and in top train .

Well made film full of noisy action, tension , suspense, breathtaking stunts and spectacular set pieces. A real cat and mouse game between Hackman-Archer and heavies Sikking-Bennet. Gene Hackman is splendid as two-fisted deputy prosecutor who is in charge of transporting a widow and he must attempt to keep her safe from the murderous who would kill her to testify against a mobster played by Harris Yulin. Relieable Anne Archer is first rate as reluctant and long-suffering witness . Lavishly produced cost 20 millions of dollar by today disappeared Carolco created by the famous producers, Mario Kassar and Andrew G Vajna. Moving and stirring musical score by Bruce Broughton, fitting perfectly to action. This thrilling motion picture is finely photographed and stunningly directed by Peter Hyams . However it results to be an inferior remake of its predecessor, a noir classic directed by Richard Fleischer with Mary Windsor and Charles McGraw, one of the best films of the 50s and one of the most successful in the story of RKO.

Gene Hackman and Anne Archer star in a good thriller that has tense moments and wonderful Canadian scenery. The story is of a frightened woman who sees a man killed and takes flight to avoid having to appear as a witness to a murder. Hackman is the resourceful district attorney who convinces Archer to return to Los Angeles and testify against the killers. The rest of the picture details a game of cat and mouse between Hackman, Archer and their pursuers who see Archer as a loose end and are determined to keep her from the courtroom. The scenes of pursuit atop the moving passenger train have been done in other films but is expertly done here without becoming a cliché. The picture does have its flaws but is a diverting film and any movie starring Hackman is certainly worth watching.

Terrific action thriller with great actors. Unfortunately, they don't have much to say because the action takes over. There isn't much time to develop a character when you're being chased up and down a mountain. Still, this is a great example of the genre. I can't help but think that it would have been a lot more successful financially with younger, hipper stars. I also think that would have ruined it.

The direction is very matter-of-fact. Some movies like this reel you in with a definite "atmosphere", stylized to death. I'm tempted to say this movie has no style at all, but that would be a disservice to Hackman and Archer, who give it all the style it needs.