It's always interesting when Hollywood tries to sell movies to the public as something other than what they are. It's not as common now, when so many movies seem to start out as marketing campaigns long before they become stories. It didn't use to be unusual, though, for filmmakers to create one sort of movie and the studio to try and sell it too the public as something else. When The Big Easy first came out in theaters, I recall the ads for it making it seem like it was some sort of erotic thriller. It's actually a pretty good romantic comedy with a little extra dash of violence.
Unsurprisingly set in New Orleans, the star of this story is Remy McSwain (Dennis Quaid), a police lieutenant in the homicide division. Remy's a genuine Cajun boy, complete with accent and a laissez faire attitude toward things like ethics and department regulations. He's called in to investigate the murder of a local wise guy and is joined on the case by a new assistant district attorney, Ann Osborn (Ellen Barkin), who's assigned to police corruption cases but is very interested in this mob slaying. Remy's not that interested in her assistance, but he really, really wants to get into her pants. After relentlessly hitting on her in a way that would get him charged with sexual harassment nowadays, they end up in bed before Remy is called away to a double murder. These two new African-American victims appear to be the ones that killed the first mobster, and Remy theorizes that there's a drug war going on in New Orleans between the Italian mafia and the voodoo-tinged, black organized criminals in town.
Remy and Ann's investigation is cut short when he's caught up in the famous corruption of the New Orleans police force. The Big Easy depicts local law enforcement as awash in graft and payoffs. Remy is caught on tape discussing bribe money with a tavern owner and Ann is assigned to prosecute his case. It seems like Remy is sure to be convicted, but he manages to get the charges dismissed with a little help from his friends. Ann is infuriated and wants nothing more to do with him and more bodies pile up as the supposed drug war rages on. To get the girl back, Remy has to actually become the good guy he's always imagined himself to be and then the two of them have to uncover who's really behind these killings and why.
Some people might quibble with me calling The Big Easy a romantic comedy, but there's way too many jokes and funny performances in this film to consider it a drama. And while the twin plot threads of the alleged drug war and police corruption are well developed, the most important thing in the movie is the relationship between Remy and Ann. In fact, what makes this such a good movie is that it utilizes so many non-traditional story elements for a romantic comedy. It doesn't have to go through a bunch of ridiculous contortions to keep its two lovebirds apart, generating a fresh and lively energy in the story.
The greatest strength of the film is in the performances of its two lead actors. Quaid creates a horny and lovable scoundrel in Remy, a cop who thinks as long as he doesn't break the big laws, he can ignore all the little ones. Barkin is extremely sexy as Ann, letting us see a woman full of repressed desire just yearning to break free. They have great chemistry together, whether they're fussing or smootching. There are also some funny supporting performances from John Goodman, Tom O'Brien and Lisa Jane Persky as Remy's fellow cops.
The Big Easy would be a smart choice for a date movie. There's just enough mushy, emotional stuff for the girl and just enough people getting shot for the boy. It's like the perfect Reese's Peanut Butter Rom-Com.
Unsurprisingly set in New Orleans, the star of this story is Remy McSwain (Dennis Quaid), a police lieutenant in the homicide division. Remy's a genuine Cajun boy, complete with accent and a laissez faire attitude toward things like ethics and department regulations. He's called in to investigate the murder of a local wise guy and is joined on the case by a new assistant district attorney, Ann Osborn (Ellen Barkin), who's assigned to police corruption cases but is very interested in this mob slaying. Remy's not that interested in her assistance, but he really, really wants to get into her pants. After relentlessly hitting on her in a way that would get him charged with sexual harassment nowadays, they end up in bed before Remy is called away to a double murder. These two new African-American victims appear to be the ones that killed the first mobster, and Remy theorizes that there's a drug war going on in New Orleans between the Italian mafia and the voodoo-tinged, black organized criminals in town.
Remy and Ann's investigation is cut short when he's caught up in the famous corruption of the New Orleans police force. The Big Easy depicts local law enforcement as awash in graft and payoffs. Remy is caught on tape discussing bribe money with a tavern owner and Ann is assigned to prosecute his case. It seems like Remy is sure to be convicted, but he manages to get the charges dismissed with a little help from his friends. Ann is infuriated and wants nothing more to do with him and more bodies pile up as the supposed drug war rages on. To get the girl back, Remy has to actually become the good guy he's always imagined himself to be and then the two of them have to uncover who's really behind these killings and why.
Some people might quibble with me calling The Big Easy a romantic comedy, but there's way too many jokes and funny performances in this film to consider it a drama. And while the twin plot threads of the alleged drug war and police corruption are well developed, the most important thing in the movie is the relationship between Remy and Ann. In fact, what makes this such a good movie is that it utilizes so many non-traditional story elements for a romantic comedy. It doesn't have to go through a bunch of ridiculous contortions to keep its two lovebirds apart, generating a fresh and lively energy in the story.
The greatest strength of the film is in the performances of its two lead actors. Quaid creates a horny and lovable scoundrel in Remy, a cop who thinks as long as he doesn't break the big laws, he can ignore all the little ones. Barkin is extremely sexy as Ann, letting us see a woman full of repressed desire just yearning to break free. They have great chemistry together, whether they're fussing or smootching. There are also some funny supporting performances from John Goodman, Tom O'Brien and Lisa Jane Persky as Remy's fellow cops.
The Big Easy would be a smart choice for a date movie. There's just enough mushy, emotional stuff for the girl and just enough people getting shot for the boy. It's like the perfect Reese's Peanut Butter Rom-Com.