Want a film to remake for the next century? This is it. It was already remade once, sort of. Watch for the similarities between this and BASIC INSTINCT (men are murdered, woman is prime suspect, cop falls for suspect). But this film is a true original.<br /><br />Pacino returned from his self-imposed exile from Hollywood to make Sea Of Love with his favorite producer, Martin Bregman. After a string of flops in the early 80s Pacino fled to the New York stage scene, finding himself so to speak. Bregman coaxed him out to do this sexually charged thriller about a tired cop caught in a sexual dilemma during middle age.<br /><br />Bodies of men are turning up in New York City. Two common denominator - the song "Sea Of Love" playing on the turntable, and they all placed ads in the personals. After composing an ad themselves, Pacino and his team (including partner John Goodman) set to staking out the resulting "dates."<br /><br />After wading through an ocean of desperate ladies, Pacino zeroes in on the ravishing Ellen Barkin. Ellen has never looked better (trust me, women as beautiful as her do not place personal ads, let alone answer them). Two problems arise - she immediately becomes a suspect, and Pacino falls head over heels for her. Playing an intricate game of cat and mouse, Pacino tries to learn her true nature all the while combatting his own desires to possess her for himself.<br /><br />Pacino turns in an inspired performance as the single man who didn't NEED to find a woman, but once he does, he'll risk anything to have her. John Goodman got some of the best early notices of his career as Pacino's partner and switch-off man during the "dating process" (would have been a whole 'nother film if Goodman had met Barkin, huh?)<br /><br />Also, look for Samuel L. Jackson in an extremely brief role in the opening scene, featuring what has to be the most inventive bust in screen history.<br /><br />