Midnight Run (1988) R - 4 Stars

Really fun comedy drama with DeNiro at his best. Aka, Prima di Mezzanotte, it's one of those movies you have to see at least once and possibly even add to your collection. For those of you who specialize in memorable quotes from movies, this one should fill your pockets. DeNiro plays an ex cop turned bounty hunter trying to get the "Duke" back to Los Angeles. Grodin is also outstanding and the two play off each other well. On just a side note, Yaphet Kotto, is good as the FBI agent but it bothers me watching him speak. You never see his teeth and it looks like he barely moves his mouth with sounds coming out. My own idiosyncrasy.

Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro), used to be a good Chicago cop but now he's become a bounty hunter. A sleazy bails bondman, Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano), offers him $100,000.00 if he can bring in Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin), the "Duke" an accountant turned embezzler, from New York back to Los Angeles in 3 days. One thing Walsh doesn't know is Chicago mobster Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina), is also looking for the "Duke." It seems Mardukas embezzled $15 million from Serrano and gave it away to charity. Serrano has two of his finest thugs, tracking Walsh down. FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto), is also looking for the "Duke" and when he learns Walsh is after him too, he's determined to not let a two bit bounty hunter get the upper edge. Enter Marvin Dorfler (John Ashton), yet another bounty hunter, who's receiving tips on Walsh's next move. He too wants to get in on that large sum of cash offered in L.A. It's a race to see will make it there first.

City Lights Films, Universal Pictures
Director: Martin Brest
Writer: George Gallo
Producer: Martin Brest

I viewed 12/10