Although Against All Odds (1984) is known as a remake of the the classic film noir Out of the Past, it is not anywhere near a faithful remake because it is not in the film noir style and does not keep the earlier film’s bleak theme. However, it is not a bad movie, just disappointingly mediocre. Terry Brogen (Jeff Bridges—great body back then) is dumped from the pro football team and reluctantly takes employment hunting for a mobster’s girlfriend (Rachel Ward—voted one of the 10 most beautiful women in America the year before). He finds her in Cozumel (I recognized one building), and they begin a torrid affair. The sex scenes are some of the very few in movies I would call good—and sweaty. All of the risky action is accented by Larry Carleton’s sound track and, I assume, his guitar playing. Incidentally, the movie goes out with Phil Collins singing “Take a Look at Me Now,” which contains the phrase “against all odds.” This remake cannot hold a candle to the original.
posted on Saturday, March 03, 2007 4:17 AM by JimBell