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Color of Night (1994)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 7/12, 3/20

ColNi
7/12: Either it's simple or difficult to judge Color of Night.

I used to think it was good and bad at once because of how unsatisfying the conclusion was after so much work had been put into peeling off the layers of the mystery.

Now, it's a decent film because time has been kind to it. I typically think of Bruce Willis as a poor actor, but this is among the best stuff he has done. What's disappointing is how apparent the dissimulation is. All I have to do is to look at Jane March's teeth, and that's it for the mystery.

Demi Moore probably blew her gasket when she first saw Bruce Willis getting it on in a hot and heavy way with Jane March (who has a case of mistaken identity by easily passing for Shawnee Smith) and then sought revenge by appearing in silly soft porno flicks such as Disclosure and Striptease just to prove how hot she was. At any rate, Bruce Willis seems to have enjoyed the experience, but I wonder why Jane March hadn't appeared in anything afterwards. Meanwhile, the supporting cast also helps the film to stay afloat, and they all do a good job.

Notice at the end when Bruce Willis and Jane March climbed atop the tower and there's a shot of the freeway in the background when in fact there's actually none around the area. If Richie has been sent to jail for drug abuse, then it's highly conceivable there must come a point during the process that he'll have to strip himself naked. By the way, I don't think the group therapy sessions are helping anyone because nobody's problem has been resolved. So, I wonder what the going rate per hour is, and where do I sign up for it to be on the receiving end?

All in all, Color of Night is an underrated neo-noir thriller, but suspension of disbelief is necessary in order for it to work.

3/20: I still say Color of Night is an underrated neo-noir picture.

Bruce Willis was a better actor when he had hair. It's certainly among his best stuff. There are moments in Color of Night when he's really giving all because he believed in the material. This kind of effort is the biggest difference maker despite the trashy premise. The story is very good with many layers of psychology. I like the cinematography which heightens the neo-noir style.

Besides Rubén Blades' overacting, the biggest letdown is how often Jane March, a Jodi Arias look-alike, flashed her teeth. The oftener she does it, the more predictable the twist is. Nonetheless, it's still a good movie which is unfortunately not sexy, no matter how many times Bruce Willis and Jane March are hot and heavy for each other.

I like Scott Bakula and all because of his work in Quantum Leap, but he has the most inexplicable dramatic scene when he yelled and ran around the corner in his office before being jumped by a bad guy. I saw the movie in 1994, but since then, I've never understood why he did that although it looks pretty cool.

All in all, I may be in the minority, but I like Color of Night a lot.