I am going to make this review short for now, with the intention to expand it upon a second viewing if one ever occurs.
My understanding of this film is that it was a complete failure during production. They redesigned the film to give Wesley Snipes more screen time, as he was a rising action star. And they changed the name from "Money Men" to "Boiling Point"to imply that it's an action film. Well, quite simply, it's not. There's some twists in the plot, but no real action.
Wesley Snipes is a good lead, but more interesting is Dennis Hopper as Red Diamond, a prostitute lover and crook. Hopper has said he considers this his best role, which may be true, but it's embedded in a bad film. And most interesting? Viggo Mortensen in an early role as Hopper's crook friend. Had the film's creators had the foresight, they would have cut down on Snipes and expanding Mortensen. And, you know, with no fan following, we'll never see a director's cut.
Not a must-see.
Boiling Point
1993
Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller
Boiling Point
1993
Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller
Keywords: prisonescapeundercoverhero
Plot summary
Red is an aging scam-artist who's just been released from prison together with Ronnie, a young and not-so-bright hoodlum who is easily manipulated. Their new business is to organize fake-money sales and then kill the buyer to take his money; but when Ronnie kills an undercover secret service agent, his partner Jimmy Mercer vows revenge and is given one week to catch the killers before being transferred.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Bland, Run of the Mill Cops and Robbers Flick
Boiling Point
I remember that I saw some of the beginning of this film, I must have either fallen asleep or given up on the rest, but watching it in full it is a good thriller. Basically Rudolph 'Red' Diamond (Dennis Hopper) is the ageing scam-artist recently released from prison along with young, not-so-bright and easily manipulated hoodlum Ronnie (The Lord of the Rings' Viggo Mortensen). During the start of a new fake-money sales business and kill the buyer, Ronnie kills an undercover cop, and his partner Jimmy Mercer (Wesley Snipes) is given a week to get his revenge and catch the killers before being transferred. Also starring Lolita Davidovich as Vikki Dunbar, Seymour Cassel as Virgil Leach and Saw's Tobin Bell as Roth. I can agree with the critics that this film does not have much action, and concentrates more on good and bad character relationships, but it is still a good romp. Very good!
Not That Bad At All
Thing is, I suspect fans of Wesley Snipes are going to see this R rated movie and want a ton of action... but it's not that kind of film. So, you know, for them it's boring. I see their point.
However, it's true that it's not that quick. But it's romantic, human nature is well observed, the sets are great and the period feel solid. The performances are perfect. Hopper is completely over the top as a low-life con man, Mortensen is cool and Ryan Gosling-like, and Lolita is lovely as the hooker with a soft spot for Wesley. Snipes as a cop is, well, Snipes as a cop and Dan Hedaya, bless him, still hasn't burst his blood vessel.
But it's how a movie gets you and I liked it, and I'm no romantic. The plot was good enough but it's the people that matter. Which is as it always should be. And I'll be leaving it for a goodly time and re-watching it just to revisit the Palace; it's the stuff dreams are made of.