Review: Gorky Park

Russian police officer William Hurt investigates the murders of three faceless bodies found in the title area in Moscow. Along the way he becomes romantically entangled with a possible suspect (Joanna Pacula). Lee Marvin and Brian Dennehy play elusive, shadowy Americans in Russia, Ian McDiarmid plays a Russian professor, Michael Elphick plays one of Hurt’s police colleagues, Ian Bannen is Hurt’s superior officer, Richard Griffiths is a lawyer, and long-serving character actor Alexander Knox turns up as a General.

 

Irresistible 1983 police procedural/mystery from director Michael Apted (Director of the “Up” series of documentaries, as well as “Gorillas in the Mist”) is really solid, underrated stuff with some terrific performances. An inscrutable Lee Marvin is in great, wily form in one of his last films, and he’s genuinely funny at times in how unhelpful and elusive he proves to be. Ian McDiarmid (seemingly having a lot of fun in a quirky part), Ian Bannen (in a latter-day James Mason-type role), Michael Elphick, and the underrated Brian Dennehy all steal scenes. William Hurt whilst the furthest thing from Russian is a fine choice in the lead. I will say that I wasn’t overly invested in the romantic subplot between Hurt and Joanna Pacula, though their sex scene is rather nice and explicit for the time. I just don’t think the connection was terribly well established between the two. Also, the villainous players aren’t terribly difficult to work out. On the whole though, this is enjoyable stuff even if it’s bizarre to hear Russian characters with English accents (even by American actor Hurt). I hate that sort of thing, standard as it was for many years. The score by James Horner (“Battle Beyond the Stars”, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”, “Aliens”, “Braveheart”) is strong, but very, very indicative of the 1980s and not for everyone’s taste. In fact, it doesn’t sound much like Horner at all, though that’s not a bad thing.

 

Interesting, sometimes grisly, rather offbeat murder-mystery/police procedural with fine performances, and Finland convincingly playing Russia. Scripted by Dennis Potter (“Pennies From Heaven”, “Dreamchild”), this is a damn good yarn.

 

Rating: B-

 

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