One of Michael Apted's weakest efforts, this adaptation of Martin Cruz Smith's novel is a tedious mystery that has a good start, a messy and lousy middle and a thrilling ending but the picture as a whole isn't worthy of our efforts. It works as a way to see a more intellectual version of future action film "Red Heat" (a fun to watch), both films made during the Cold War whose main character is a good Soviet, far from the villiainesque stereotypes created by the American cinema, combative of the Communism just as its government but at least they knew how to offer a different point of view.
In it, William Hurt plays an officer in charge of investigating the mystery behind three faceless corpses found buried in Gorky Park and which may involve an American businessman (Lee Marvin) who deals with Russian officials. To assist Hurt, there's an American detective (Brian Dennehy), and to get on his way there's one girl (Joanna Pacula) who knows too much and you probably know the rest which concerns about her involvement and the main character, another lousy love story we can't possibly care.
The plot is terribly confusing and with meaningless dialogs and a pathetic romance that doesn't convince. There's nothing powerful here, and the reason behind the murders is something to be guessed by viewers only known of those who read the novel. When the charade is solved...it's so lighthearted and simplistic that it doesn't make us feel anything. "Gorky Park" lacks in flow and rhythm, painfully slow and morose, only hitting good notes when creating moments of enjoyable action.
On the bright side, we must appreciate the excellent use of locations in Helsink doubling for URSS, since they couldn't film in there, and Helsink proves to be a fine choice, beautifully photographed by cinematographer Ralf D. Bode. And there's good performances by Marvin, Hurt, Dennehy and Ian Bannen as the KGB chief. Pacula only gets credit for her good looks and use of a Russian accent, completely ignored by all the other "Russians" in the film, mostly played by British actors to differentiate from the English spoken by the Americans, characteristic used in other old films.
I love movies in that style but only when they're involving. This detective story just didn't work. 5/10
In it, William Hurt plays an officer in charge of investigating the mystery behind three faceless corpses found buried in Gorky Park and which may involve an American businessman (Lee Marvin) who deals with Russian officials. To assist Hurt, there's an American detective (Brian Dennehy), and to get on his way there's one girl (Joanna Pacula) who knows too much and you probably know the rest which concerns about her involvement and the main character, another lousy love story we can't possibly care.
The plot is terribly confusing and with meaningless dialogs and a pathetic romance that doesn't convince. There's nothing powerful here, and the reason behind the murders is something to be guessed by viewers only known of those who read the novel. When the charade is solved...it's so lighthearted and simplistic that it doesn't make us feel anything. "Gorky Park" lacks in flow and rhythm, painfully slow and morose, only hitting good notes when creating moments of enjoyable action.
On the bright side, we must appreciate the excellent use of locations in Helsink doubling for URSS, since they couldn't film in there, and Helsink proves to be a fine choice, beautifully photographed by cinematographer Ralf D. Bode. And there's good performances by Marvin, Hurt, Dennehy and Ian Bannen as the KGB chief. Pacula only gets credit for her good looks and use of a Russian accent, completely ignored by all the other "Russians" in the film, mostly played by British actors to differentiate from the English spoken by the Americans, characteristic used in other old films.
I love movies in that style but only when they're involving. This detective story just didn't work. 5/10