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George Gallo's script for Martin Brest's Midnight Run is quite possibly the finest in cinema's buddy movie catalogue. Somehow the screenwriter manages to juggle many subplots together into one cohesive unit, creating a very entertaining entity without boring the viewer; he avoids copycat techniques from similar films, makes the film canter along with enough action to make you take notice, and infuses humanity into the personalities of the two leads. Robert De Niro is Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter looking to capture a huge payday, Charles Grodin's Jonathan 'Duke' Mardukas, an accountant turned embezzler. The opposition to De Niro's quest comes from a wide variety of sources on both sides of the morality spectrum: Jimmy Serrano, the Las Vegas mob boss Duke stole from, has his goons on the duo's trail, the FBI want to get hold of Duke to help prosecute Serrano, and rival bounty hunter Marvin's urge to sabotage the operation is always a constant threat.
Long before he found comedic success in Meet the Parents (2000) and Meet the Fockers (2004), De Niro is perfectly cast, mixing the cigarette-smoking, heavy swearing (the f-word is used 132 times in the film) bounty hunter with a sincere sensitive side - the scene in which he visits his ex-wife and daughter is the heart-warming highlight of the film. The anti-chemistry De Niro has with Grodin however is the difference maker which sets apart Brest's effort from other films in the canon. Duke is a trickster on the same level as Walsh, but he exercises his intelligence and wit with words instead of short-tempered spurts of violence. Grodin does enough to eradicate the thought of Robin Williams or Bruce Willis in his place, a very probable set-up before filming began and Grodin had solidified his part. Yaphet Kotto as the FBI 'threat' and Joe Pantoliano (De Niro's boss) even jump on the hilarious chemistry bandwagon as well, the interaction from both with De Niro in particular is great, and these sequences act as bases to the cross-country travelling duo. The stunts along the way are surprisingly created wonderfully as well - the plane and train escapades display a very realistic glow.
The extras
Zilch.
The summary
Hilarious and suspenseful, a rare cocktail skilfully captured with ease.
