A wonderful cat-and-mouse thriller matching Eastwood against Malkovich's serpentine would-be assassin.
In the Line of Fire (1993)
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Reviews Counted:35
Fresh:34
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.6/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Aging secret service agent Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood), on duty the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, is still unable to forget his failure on that fateful day, even as he nears... Aging secret service agent Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood), on duty the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, is still unable to forget his failure on that fateful day, even as he nears retirement in 1993. When Mitch Leary (John Malkovich), a psychotic man calling himself Booth, threatens to kill the current president, Horrigan is the only one who takes the threat seriously. Over time, a cat-and-mouse game develops between the potential assassin and the agent; Horrigan sees the game as a chance to redeem his earlier failure and escape a life that has fallen into alcoholism and self-pity. With his only allies his partner (Dylan McDermott), who realizes he can't handle being a secret service agent and wants to resign, and a female agent (Rene Russo) whom he alternately annoys and attracts, Horrigan takes on Leary one-on-one in a fight to save the president, his job, and his self-respect. Directed with panache and precision by Wolfgang Petersen, IN THE LINE OF FIRE is an expertly crafted thriller that features spectacular performances by Eastwood and Malkovich. [More]
Starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott
Starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Dalton Thompson, John Mahoney
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Composer: Ennio Morricone
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Producer: Jeff Apple
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Reviews for In the Line of Fire
Commercial entertainment at its finest. A first-class, exceptionally well-made thriller.
This well-executed picture demonstrates the validity of Hitchcock's claim that a thriller is as good as its villain. John Malkovich is an excellent villain, but the film also has a good, flawed hero, played by Clint Eastwood.
Brilliant thriller. You feel as much for the villain as you do for the hero, almost rooting for both of them.
A guilt-ridden Secret Service agent sezies the opportunity to redeem himself.
...Eastwood in the true Eastwood mode--eyes narrowed, brow furrowed, fists clenched, gun in hand.
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