Throughout his career, Clint Eastwood has cultivated an archetypal action hero persona, thanks to such iconic movies as Dirty Harry, Unforgiven and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. But although In the Line of Fire is still a powerful thriller, it finds its hero in a more introspective mood, reflecting on age and masculinity.
He plays Frank Horrigan, Secret Service agent and former presidential bodyguard whose catastrophic error in judgment led to the assassination of JFK back in 1963, and who is now a borderline alcoholic and depressive. But he soon finds a new lease of life when the president is threatened by a dangerous and deranged assassin stalking the streets of Washington DC. This leads him to join forces with fellow agent Lilly Raines (Rene Russo, and their relationship soon turns to romance. In classic Hollywood style, there is a jarring age gap between Eastwood and Russo which makes this sub-plot feel unconvincing and tacked-on. This is a shame, because Rene Russo is a skillful actress and this movie does not really give her all that much to do. But overall, this minor criticism does not detract from what is essentially a high-octane thriller.
A key part of the movie’s appeal lies in its villain: John Malkovich as Mitch Leary, the would-be presidential assassin, gives a fantastic performance that manages to be both chilling and oddly sympathetic. In fact, Malkovich brings so much depth and nuance to what could have been a cardboard cut-out bad guy that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It’s a great, scene-stealing role in a truly excellent movie. Jeff Maguire’s well-paced script coupled with Wolfgang Petersen’s assured direction- as well as supporting performances from familiar character actors John Mahoney and Gary Cole (among others)- make In the Line of Fire an almost flawless experience.
Rating 5/5
Check if In The Line Of Fire is available to watch here