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Midnight Run brings the audience into the seedy
world of Eddie Moscone's bail bonds business, which includes tough,
resourceful bounty hunters who go after those who jump bail. In
Los Angeles, Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano) runs a bail bonds
business in a seedy part of Los Angeles. He uses two, rather rough,
salty-talking men Marvin Dorfler (John Ashton), and Jack Walsh
(Robert De Niro) to track down individuals who run after paying
for bonds to get out of jail. Marvin and Jack have a lot of animosity
toward each other, as they are often hired to track down the same
person, which means they often try to steal each other's catch
for the money.
When a former mob accountant, Jonathan Mardukas
(Charles Grodin), runs away and hides, thus breaking his bail
agreement, Eddie offers Jack Walsh $100,000 to find Jonathan,
and bring him home to L.A. Former Chicago cop, Jack Walsh has
big plans for this money, as he plans to retire from the scuzy
bounty hunter business, and open up a diner. Before he even leaves
for New York, however, it is made very clear to him personally
by F.B.I. head honcho Alphonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto), that the
F.B.I expects him to turn Mardukas over to them, because they
want to charge him in federal court. Upon arriving in New York,
the representatives of the murderous mobster, Johnny Serrano,
let Jack know that they also want to get a hold of Mardukas before
he can testify against them and will pay anyone handsomely to
get him.
With hardly any effort in New York, Jonathan is
soon in the custody of Jack Walsh, who isn't intimidated by either
the F.B.I. or his old enemy from Chicago, Jimmy Serrano, a heroine
dealer who had put the entire Chicago police department on his
payroll, except Jack, who refused to do so. Jack was forced to
leave the police force, his family and Chicago as well.
However, both Jack and Jonathan are in for a wild
adventure, with unexpected twists and turns awaiting them, as
their supposedly easy return to Los Angeles becomes disrupted
by other interested parties, such as the F.B.I., who have bugged
Eddie's phone, Jimmy Serrano, who has an informant working in
Eddie's bail bonds office, and his competitor Marvin Dorfler.
All do their best to gum up Jack's plans.
This adult comedy screenplay, by George Gallo,
is nicely paced, has funny twists and turns that challenge Jack
Walsh's ingenuity, creativity, principles and determination. The
end result creates humor and chuckles with these creative characters,
portrayed by a talented cast.
Charles Grodin and Robert De Niro make a delightfully
odd couple, who add hilarity to their part of the story, playing
off each other's opposite characters and lines.
Charles Grodin excels in his part as the annoyingly
chatty, caring, mild-mannered prisoner, who tries to outreach
to Jack to help him with his personal problems, to make a connection,
while looking for a way to try to escape.
Robert De Niro's portrayal as an honest, principled,
rough ex-cop turned bounty hunter was brilliant; a blended combination
of seriousness and comedy, that really carried the story, and
made the screenplay work.
Yaphet Koto was well cast as the head F.B.I. man,
Alphonzo Mosely, who has a most annoying time of it, as Jack finds
the fugitive that Koto's own F.B.I. guys couldn't manage to do,
Jack picks his official ID off him at their first forced meeting,
and then Alphonzo has a terrible time trying to catch the slippery
Jack Walsh and his prized prisoner, in between having gun fights
with the mobsters sent to kill Jonathan.
John Ashton is convincing as the somewhat brutal
Marvin Dorfler, who has some rather painfully forceful yet effective
techniques that he uses to get his way.
Dennis Farina is chilling as the cold-hearted
dastardly villain, Jimmy Serrano, a mobster with no redeeming
values at all.
Film is rated R. The language used in this film
won't please the standards of most parents, so this film is for
the over 17 crowd, who don't mind the potty words, and other 4
letter varieties.
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MIDNIGHT RUN ... THE COMEDY REVIEW
