mgtbltp This one is way off the radar or "noirdar". Probably because its never seen or has been dismissed or mislabeled as fluff. It's probably forgotten for two reasons, one it was a Showtime film (much like The Last Seduction was originally an HBO film), and two, it had a lot of adult T&A but its all germane to the story, its T*i*t*s & A*s*s with CLASS. It can be done and done well. It's also as noir a tale as you can get.Kevin Anderson plays a young 30-ish American, Alex Walker, a sailor on the run from a second degree murder charge, whose cargo ship is working the Gulf coast of Mexico, think of the classic Noir roles that went to Steve Cochran, William Holden, Glen Ford etc.John Lithgow plays the "ne plus ultra" Ugly American John Mills, channeling Henry Fonda and touches of other classic Noir performances you see a bit of Jimmy Stewart a bit of Broderick Crawford, he's so very entertaining in the role, an excellent performance.Rosanna Arquette plays the Heartbreaker, Mills' young wife/common law friend with benefits, a real lovable Floozy Femme Fatale named Missy. Arquette is playing the exact type of exhibitionist, free spirit role that in the late 50s early 60s would have been given to Brigitte Bardo, Arquette is smoking-ly sultry in this film and beautiful to watch a siren luring men to their fate.There is also a good policier angle that is nicely fleshed out of a young Mexican Criminal Law graduate Ortega played by Ernesto Laguardia . who will remind you of a young Ricardo Montalban, vs. the old school police chief Diaz played excellently by Jorge Cervera Jr. who gives off a John Wayne/Harry Carey vibe. The cinematography is outstanding, the noir sequences to die for, the Mexican locations humidly hypnotic.Robert Harper is excellent as the fleece joint operator in Tampico, he has some memorable sequences, I think Dan Duryea or Timothy Carey as I watch him.I'm starting to believe that what makes Neo Noirs authentic Neo Noirs for me, is not only a heavy dose of Noir stylistic cinematography along with a simple Noir storyline, but also a bit of cinematic memory, when you can picture the stars in these Neos as inheritors of Classic Noir star parts, or see a nod to Classic Noir locations combined with an old school, without bells & whistles, low budget, "B" film artistry you reach the tipping point into full blown Noirsville.All the action sequences are done very well and all low key, mostly on foot, no automatics, no car chases, no explosions, just good choreography on existing location, Bravo! Watch for the "Duello of the Wrong Man" sequence, "The Death Of Felix" sequence, "The Ballad of the Heartbreaker" and "The Dance of the Siren". You wont be disappointed.I had to order this off Ebay from Hong Kong, it's worth it. It's equal to the best Neo Noirs of the 90s, a great, great soundtrack by Los Lobos too, enjoy.

tsd333 Stand by for a remarkable movie, film noirish in its way, especially because John Lithgow's acting is uniformly superb. By way of counterpoint, Rosanna Arquette, his ditsy partner or traveling companion with benefits, it doesn't matter which, throws herself around with such abandon in the hot Mexican locations that Lithgow and she make a delightful study in opposites. Lithgow is a small time crook trying to make dollars without attracting too much attention as the pair motor around. The necessary conflict soon emerges after the pair take on board a much younger American male (played by Kevin Anderson) who's on the lam because he's wanted for questioning in a murder case. The bubbly Rosanna character having become somewhat tired of her older lover, it's not long before she's rocking the springs with the new man who by day is confined to the back seat of the car. Arquette has never been shy about disporting herself, and here her bed-worthy bazongers are frequently on the bounce. Black comedy turns to drama towards the end, with surprising outcomes. The Wrong Man has been the title of several movies, so it's worth quoting the lead actors' names at your local DVD shop. If you understand how and when over-acting can raise the level of professionalism, then make sure you don't miss this one.

ccthemovieman-1 Well, here we go with yet another John Lithgow loser. Man, did this guy make a lot of terrible films and was unlikeable himself in almost every role, or what? In this film he's at profane screaming best! No wonder he did so much better on network television where he could be restrained. (Don't be fooled by the "TV" label on this; it's cable TV and this film is rated "R.")A good screen partner for him was Rosanna Arquette, who usually treated the male audiences to good glimpses of her ample breasts. She went topless here for at least five minutes. Meanwhile, the lead actor was neither Lithgow or Arquette. It was Kevin Anderson, a young actor who likes to play low-life roles. Maybe he's related to Lithgow. Wow, does this movie have "class" written all over it or what?!If you picked this up at the video store, you not only got "The Wrong Man," but you got the wrong movie. Go back and get the one with the same title, but starring Henry Fonda.

Victor Field Made for cable TV, "The Wrong Man" has the setup of a chase movie - Kevin Anderson has to go on the run after a murder he didn't commit - but writer Michael Thoma and director Jim McBride put the emphasis less on the pursuit than on the characters involved, turning it into a road movie with a bit of violence attached. (UK viewers note Anderson playing a character called Alexander Walker - also the name of one of Britain's leading [so I'm told] movie critics.)The journey through Mexico isn't overflowing with action, but the interplay between Anderson and the couple he hooks up with - Ugly American John Lithgow and Sexy American wife Rosanna Arquette - keeps the attention; interlaced with wit and edge, the acting of all three principals and the refreshingly non-stereotyped Mexican police officers following the trail helps the movie seem like more than it is.Leisurely paced without being boring, and pretty credible right up to its finale, "The Wrong Man" may not be up there with "Baby, It's You" or "The World According To Garp" in the CVs of Arquette and Lithgow, but it certainly is a long, long way from "Off The Wall" or "Raising Cain." And if all else fails, watch it for Rosanna's topless scenes (the scene in the hotel room makes it a must for Arquette fans, particularly the ones with penises).