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The January Man (1989) More at IMDbPro »

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45 comments in total

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16 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Unfairly underrated, 15 August 2002

Author: K-Slicer from In A Confined Space

I really liked this film. Far be it from being one of the greatest films of all time, this is one that is in the category of "underrated" like Loser and The Bone Collector. I really liked the way the plot and the characters developed. To me, I thought the cast were all a little out there but isn't all of humanity like that in form or another. Kevin Kline did very well as an unfairly disgraced homocide cop who had a beatnik mentality. He turned what many might consider a very below standard screenplay and turned it into a watchable film. His performance is the best of the movie. The performances of Alan Rickman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Danny Aiello are also noteworthy. There are a few flaws in this film but it was a great work overall. It isn't as bad as the IMDB rating suggests. It is very adult and somewhat intellectual and it is almost believable. The ending surprised me and I don't think it was chinsy or overdone. I think it was supposed to try and imitate real life a little bit and it succeeded. It may not fit a particular genre but that doesn't mean it stinks. This is a film that doesn't conform to certain Hollywood standards and that is the main reason I liked it. This is one of Kevin Kline's best films and I suggest the detractors should take another look at it. The January Man is one of the most underrated films of all time and it will probably always be that way.

9 out of 10. It's amazing what 10 bucks and the bargain DVD rack at Wal-Mart can get you.

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
One of those overlooked and underrated gems, 21 July 2006

Author: mjhalta from Canada

The one scene with Rod Steiger berating Danny Aiello is worth the price of renting this movie. In fact it has several memorable scenes that set it apart from the usual paint by number serial murderer mysteries. The hero is a quirky character played to perfection by Kevin Klein. The movie has an interesting, intertwined romantic plot with a twist to it that is satisfying if not unexpected. I have watched this movie many times and will undoubtedly pull it out again to watch all over. You can do that with certain movies, others gather dust. A movie is a collection of scenes, some of them memorable, some not. This movie has its share of memorable ones and maybe thats why I keep coming back.

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16 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
People are taking this movie to seriously, 1 February 2003
Author: damir00 from Vancouver, Canada

I'm watching the "thrilling" climax as I type this.

Listen, folks, this film wasn't meant to be taken seriously, it's meant more as a parody or farce. Just listen to the soundtrack during the "dramatic" moments, it's not even trying to be serious. I'm guessing the cast was struggling to keep from bursting out in laughter during the filming because it really is stuffed full of every imagineable cliche.

Though there are some original lines. "I want to make you haggis." I mean, come on, how can anyone even begin to imagine this was meant seriously. It's like a police drama version of "Showgirls".

Well, without as much skin. ;-)

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17 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Terrible, unfunny, unromantic film, 4 May 2000

Author: Michael Dyckman from Forest Hills, New York, USA

Terrible – Good actors with bad material. How do you go wrong with Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (I haven't liked her in anything else, but she was actually good here), Harvey Keitel, Rod Steiger, and Danny Aiello ? Put them in a movie with a terrible screenplay and nothing to do. Kline plays a former cop, now fireman, and brother of the New York City police commissioner (Keitel – do these two look like brothers at all – NO!), who is called back on the force to stop a serial killer. Sarandon is Keitel's wife and was Kline's lover, and Mastrantonio is falling for our Kevin. The worst (over)acting job goes to Steiger, who seethes like a rabid dog throughout the whole movie. Anyway, to catch this creep, Kline uses methods so unbelievable (not in a good way) that you'll be shaking your head. To think: this garbage was written by the same guy who wrote Moonstruck.

Vote: 3

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10 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Definitely, one of the best movies I've seen., 2 October 1998
Author: Jason McDonald (naturalbrnkillr@yahoo.com) from USA

I have always had "The January Man" on tape, but I never really sat down and watched it. One day I decided to give it a try, and I must say that it was unbelievable. Definitely one of Kline's best roles. Don't get me wrong, he was great in "A Fish Called Wanda", but he was in perfect form as Nick Starkey. And Rod Steiger was hilarious. And Alan Rickman was perfect as Ed. Great casting there. An amazing script, well directed, and great acting all around. I give it four out of four stars.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent film! Terrific fun!, 16 January 2006

Author: SpanxMcB from Canada

Good movie, even if it is a bit campy now. A great cast turn great performances with subtle comedy. Worth it just to see Alan Rickman as the brooding artist living next door. A comedy in the same spirit of "Rushmore". Ahead of its time and fantastic when you are in the right mood.

Kevin Klein walks a great line in this type of movie between a serious characterization and moments of comic hilarity. Susan Sarandon and Kevin Klein have wonderful on screen chemistry, and the rest of the supporting cast all are given opportunities to show off their skills through a well crafted script. It's well worth seeing.

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8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A misunderstood film..., 29 May 2006

Author: nyjetspotter from United States

January man is kind of a neat movie that is clearly a romantic comedy masquerading as a psychological thriller. It has a wonderful cast, an acclaimed screenwriter and even a Marvin Hamlisch score. The film was billed as almost an older version of 'The Bone Collector'. But it seems more like a serial killer version of 'Moonstruck'. I can see why many people were disappointed in the film. They saw the movie from a totally different angle. The serial killer (the January man) is almost ancillary to the actual plot of the movie. It is a Kevin Kline driven vehicle with a old and new love interest(Sarandon & Mastrantonio). It has the re-reinstatement of a hero cop who takes a fall from grace for his brother (Harvey Keitel)and is banished from the police department and is relegated to fighting fires rather than criminals. It has the cro-magnon police captain (Aiello) and the even older Mayor(Steiger). All these pieces of the puzzle come together to provide decent little film which I think is clearly misunderstood.

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9 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
A quirky movie with a cast of talent to beat the band..., 21 April 2003

Author: (mercutio33@aol.com) from atlanta, ga

This is a great movie! Unfortunately, some people refuse to see past the one-line video box description. Ostensibly about a serial killer, it is more of a quirky character study, except it is actually a multi-character study, with these characters being brought to life by the likes of Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel, and Rod Steiger, just to name a few (a very few). I whole-heartedly recommend this movie to people who's tastes haven't been worn down to the level of some viewers who need everything wrapped up with a bow and handed to them like a christmas present. You will enjoy yourself greatly.

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
typical Hollywood, 1 February 2005

Author: Sam Bozman from Maryland USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

standard Hollywood cop film. a Mysterious Serial Killer performs some Brutal Killings leaving Incredibly Complex Clues and Only One Cop Can Catch Him (a long-haired sneaker-wearing Rogue Cop), and that's the Kevin Kline character, temporarily a fireman, who enters the film bursting through a fence in the process of, what else, Saving a Child. He's recalled to duty at the Mayor's orders and, with the help of some Free Spirits (artiste/computer whiz Alan Rickman, adorable Mary Liz Mastrontonio) our guy deciphers the clues and etc etc. the movie is riddled with clichés, including a Former Lover (Susan Sarandon) and a Jealous Rival (Danny Aiello). its full of New Yawk actors shouting f-bombs, and Kline is not very convincing as a street-smart detective (somebody more blue-collar like Bruce Willis might have pulled it off). a lot of this is awful playful considering the subject matter. Rickman as the artiste and Harvey Keitel as a somber administrator come off best of the performers. honestly, this is nothing you haven't seen before.

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9 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Come on, it's funny, 6 January 2004

Author: Hans de Neijs (jcneijs@dds.nl) from Delft, The Netherlands

Yep, I watched it on tv even when one of Holland's leading news papers was dishing it but they are very often wrong. I've seen Alan Rickman on stage and in many movies but here he really steals the show. Yeah, the film doesn't really chooses to be either comedy or thriller or just a who dun it but it's great fun to watch.

Kevin Kline (who I never really cared for not even in A Fish Called Wanda) is playing one of his better roles as the reinstated cop although I do admit the whole sideline of the two cop brothers doesn't really add anything and could have been dropped all together which means dumping Susan Sarandon, so what.

But give it a try keep an open mind and it is nice flick. Nope, I didn't give it a 10 (considered it for improving the average) but it is nice to watch.

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