Johnny Handsome

I've mentioned in past posts that Walter Hill is one of my favorite filmmakers. And I've probably mentioned that Mickey Rourke is one of my favorite actors. So you can imagine the excitement I had back in 1989 when the two teamed up for the noirish action thriller Johnny Handsome. Here's my thoughts.

Rourke stars as John Sedley, a small time criminal with a disfigured face. His best friend and partner in crime Mikey, Scott Wilson, talks him into a jewelry store robbery. Johnny gets a bad feeling with they team up Rafe and Sunny, Lance Henrikson and Ellen Barkin, and with good reason. The two double cross Johnny and Mikey during the robbery, killing Mikey and leaving Johnny at the scene to be arrested.

Johnny gets sentenced to prison time, and once in the joint is the victim of a violent attack that sends him to the prison hospital. There he meets the kind Dr. Fisher, Forrest Whitaker. The doctor tells him of an experimental procedure that could correct his face. Johnny agrees to be his test subject. The operation is a success, and once released from prison, Johnny is hell bent on revenge.

This is a terrific example of modern day noir. Rourke gives a heartbreaking performance as a man who has been picked on his entire life and now has an opportunity to be normal. Rourke wasn't the first choice to play the part. He replaced Al Pacino, who replaced Richard Gere. The Johnny character is somewhat similar to the role Rourke would play in Sin City. The supporting cast, that also includes Elizabeth McGovern and Morgan Freeman, is top notch.

Hill, who replaced Harold Becker, was the prefect choice for this material. Hill stated that he had turned it down several times thinking that the studios wouldn't want to touch it and that no actor would be able to fill the part. He changed his mind once Rourke signed on. He knew Rourke could pull it off This could have been a very gimmicky plastic surgery movie, but Hill was smart and focused more on the noirish aspect of it.

This is one of Hill's best as a director, and one of Rourke's better performances. A great noirish thriller that unfortunately deserved more attention upon release.

It's available on dvd and blu ray.