AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

smile-55031 This movie is full of photo imagery that makes it suspenseful and a compelling drama. I feel like it's one of those movies you need to sit in a booth by yourself and watch it to fully be engulfed in the story. The acting is okay, but the story line is good and compelling. Phoenix has nothing to do with the city in Arizona, so if you are thinking about that then just get it out of your mind. The superstitious nature of the characters keeps you on the edge of your seat. The photo booth scene was the best. I highly recomend renting this, it is definitely worth it!

The_Void There was no shortage of 'cool' crime thrillers released on the success of Goodfellas in the nineties, and while I wouldn't say that this is one of the very best of them; it's certainly one of the better ones. Phoenix benefits from Scorsese's leading man Ray Liotta, who takes the lead role in this film as a gambling addicted copper. The plot focuses on crime as you would expect, but the gambling side of the plot is what really makes and sets it apart from most of the other nineties crime flicks. Ray Liotta is Harry Collins, a cop with a gambling addiction; and, like most gamblers, a money problem resulting from it. He owes money he doesn't have to his bookie, a man who calls himself "Chicago", and after being given a few days to pay; he soon realises that he's going to have to take steps to raise the money. This prompts him to set up a plan with his fellow coppers Mike, James and Fred to rip off local pimp and all round bad guy Louie. Naturally, the plan goes tits up and pretty soon all four of them are forced to pay the consequences...The film is never really brilliant (though in fairness, this sort of film doesn't usually turn me on all that much), but it manages to keep a fairly good pace going throughout and doesn't get boring. Ray Liotta has played this sort of role many times before and since, and as you would expect he is well at home with the leading role in this film. British director Danny Cannon (also director of rubbish such as Judge Dredd and I Know What You Did Last Summer) has recruited a decent cast of below a-list stars, which includes Anthony LaPaglia, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven and Xander Berkeley, as well as one of my favourite B-movie actresses, Kari Wuhrer. Anjelica Huston also appears, but is horribly miscast as Liotta's love interest. There's plenty of what most people will have come to expect from modern crime flicks; we have car chases, shootouts, sharp dialogue and all the rest of it. I'd have preferred the film if we'd have got a bit more of the gambling theme thrown in, but that's not too important as overall, this is a more than passable effort and I'm sure crime fans will enjoy it.

shannon_oneil There's just one problem with this movie : it takes place in Arizona yet everyone seems to have a distinctive East Coast accent ... sorry, but most cops in Phoenix don't sound like they're from New Jersey. It seems that every actor in a gritty crime drama is required to have this gruff, Gothamesque 'Prince of the City' voice. (Incidentally, most of the lead actors are from the New York tri-state area ...) Of course, this is a minor flaw. Ray Liotta -- though typecast, unfortunately -- gives an intense, compelling performance as a gambling addict. This isn't his best role, by any means, but he is quite competent as usual. I always enjoy his work and he is undervalued, in my opinion. Still, in general, they could've made this movie a tad truer to the region without losing its edge.

VisionThing This is a delightfully scrubby crime movie, with lots of gloomy scenes and sweaty, bloated & crooked cops, plenty of antiheroic action, and a few minor but refreshing plot twists. Ray Liotta serves an exceptional performance (even on his standards) and the whole cast is solid through and through. By no stretch a "feel-good movie", but definitely a very entertaining film. Plus, Phoenix got the most fitting tagline in ages...