The Devil's Own
Director: | Alan J. Pakula |
Writers: | David Aaron Cohen, Vincent Patrick and Kevin Jarre |
Director of Photography: | Gordon Willis |
Editors: | Tom Rolf and Dennis Virkler |
Music: | James Horner |
Production Designer: | Jane Musky |
Producers: | Lawrence Gordon and Robert F. Colesberry |
Columbia; R; 115 minutes | |
Release: | 3/97 |
Cast: | Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Margaret Colin, Rubén Blades, Treat Williams, George Hearn, Mitchell Ryan and Natascha McElhone |
Rarely has a movie been released with more distractions. Pitt made some comments about a difficult shoot and script problems and then recanted. Ford spent the bulk of his press interviews saying he agreed with Pitt, sort of. In short, a mess. Unfortunately, so is the movie. IRA terrorist Rory Devaney (Pitt), posing as an innocent immigrant, has come to America to upgrade his weapons arsenal. Brooklyn cop Tom O'Meara (Ford) takes Devaney into his home and they develop a convincing father-son bond. But the plot never takes off. Ford, playing another ordinary man facing extraordinary circumstances, is credible as he discovers whom he has let into his home. But, after a long set-up, the movie seems headed for a great climax only to peter out. Pitt was right from the beginning.