A retired US Navy pilot comes to Mexico, where he falls in love with the wife of a powerful businessman. The consequences will be cruel and unforeseen.A retired US Navy pilot comes to Mexico, where he falls in love with the wife of a powerful businessman. The consequences will be cruel and unforeseen.A retired US Navy pilot comes to Mexico, where he falls in love with the wife of a powerful businessman. The consequences will be cruel and unforeseen.
Joaquín Martínez
- Mauro
- (as Joaquin Martinez)
Luis de Icaza
- Ramon
- (as Luis De Icaza)
Mónica Hernández
- Neli
- (as Monica Hernandez)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe sex scenes between Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe were not rehearsed or choreographed in any way before shooting. Tony Scott simply set up three cameras and allowed the actors to find their way into the scenes. Everything seen during the sex scenes was improvised by the actors themselves. When Costner viewed Scott's director's cut of the movie in 2007 he said of these scenes, 'Boy, we really got into it didn't we'?
- GoofsAfter Jay and Miryea are through walking on the beach, Jay offers to make some lemonade. As he fumbles around nervously at his beach house, he ends up attempting to make lemonade with what appears to be a bag of limes, instead of lemons. However, in Mexico yellow lemons are very rare. "Limones" are green and used to make "limonada".
- Quotes
Michael J. 'Jay' Cochran: I killed a man I hated today.
- Alternate versionsThe version included on the 2007 DVD and Blu-Ray releases is director Tony Scott's shorter cut, running 104 minutes. The original 124-minute version is producer Ray Stark's cut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Oscar Nomination Surprises for 1989 (1990)
- SoundtracksAre You Ready
Written and Performed by Joanna St. Claire
Produced by Joanna St. Claire
Featured review
Costner is Jay Cochran, a freshly retired Navy jet pilot who ventures down to Mexico for a long holiday with old friend, and ruthless kingpin, Tibby Mendez (Anthony Quinn). In no time at all, Cochran becomes enamored of Tibby's gorgeous young wife, Mireya (Madeleine Stowe). Sparks fly between the two, and a steamy love affair ensues. Tibby discovers his wife's illicit activities, and moves to exact revenge for his friend's betrayal. Cochran is beaten to within an inch of his life and left for dead on the side of the road. Mireya, physically marred, is sentenced to life in a brothel to live out her days in a heroin-induced haze. Cochran survives and mounts his own campaign of vengeance.
Now in all honesty, I don't think anyone watches this movie without shaking their head at Cochran. Until he takes up arms and swears revenge, he's your basic facepalm of a character. He knows she's taken, and he knows his old amigo has a vicious temper. She's a well-kept trophy wife surrounded by gun-toting henchmen. Tibby's not going to let this go with a slap on the hand. But it's Tibby's sheer brutality that's so shocking. The film takes a sudden and savage turn when Cochran is beaten to a bloody pulp, bones crushed, consciousness fleeting. And the payback Tibby has in store for his adulterous wife is off the charts; sold into a life of prostitution in a semi-conscious state.
But the common sense of the main characters is not what's important in the long run. This film lives and breathes through the undeniable chemistry between Costner and Stowe. They really do bring 110% to their roles. Their love scenes only add to the horror we (and they) experience when they're punished. Both find genuine (albeit short-lived) happiness only to be sentenced to their respective hells.
The Director's Cut actually excises 30 minutes from the original version, and it serves to quicken the pace and add a visceral punch to an already brutal (and morbid) love story. In a time when such revised cuts are used merely as gimmicks, this film truly benefits from Scott's revisions.
7/10
Now in all honesty, I don't think anyone watches this movie without shaking their head at Cochran. Until he takes up arms and swears revenge, he's your basic facepalm of a character. He knows she's taken, and he knows his old amigo has a vicious temper. She's a well-kept trophy wife surrounded by gun-toting henchmen. Tibby's not going to let this go with a slap on the hand. But it's Tibby's sheer brutality that's so shocking. The film takes a sudden and savage turn when Cochran is beaten to a bloody pulp, bones crushed, consciousness fleeting. And the payback Tibby has in store for his adulterous wife is off the charts; sold into a life of prostitution in a semi-conscious state.
But the common sense of the main characters is not what's important in the long run. This film lives and breathes through the undeniable chemistry between Costner and Stowe. They really do bring 110% to their roles. Their love scenes only add to the horror we (and they) experience when they're punished. Both find genuine (albeit short-lived) happiness only to be sentenced to their respective hells.
The Director's Cut actually excises 30 minutes from the original version, and it serves to quicken the pace and add a visceral punch to an already brutal (and morbid) love story. In a time when such revised cuts are used merely as gimmicks, this film truly benefits from Scott's revisions.
7/10
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $22,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $15,645,616
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,086,672
- Feb 19, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $15,645,616
- Runtime2 hours 4 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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