Sharky's Machine (1981)

So much average

Best movie ever!

Admirable film.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Sharky's Machine is an exceptional police thriller in the vein of Dirty Harry, directed and starring Burt Reynolds. Sharky's Machine is a gritty, and noir influenced crime film with a dark urban ambiance amped up by its jazzy score. While it is in the same genre as Dirty Harry, I would also regard Sharky's Machine as an urban Dante's Inferno. It just has that kind of feel. Burt is Sgt. Sharky, a former narcotics cop that got demoted to vice after one of his fellow officers blew his cover resulting in a shootout in the streets where innocent people get shot. He soon finds camaraderie with his fellow officers in the vice squad (Brian Keith and Bernie Casey)as well as mutual respect for his new boss(Charles Durning). Dominoe (Rachael Ward) is a high priced call girl that is owned by ruthless mobster Victor D'Anton(Vittorio Gassman). While doing surveillance on Dominoe (who is having an affair with the governor) things go awry. Sharky and friends soon find evidence of high level corruption that gets them over their heads. When the evidence leads to crimelord Victor D'Anton the layers of high level corruption peel like a banana. Victor is not so easy to bring down when he has a psychopath, drug addict brother as his main hit-man and has crooked cops and kung fu killers at his disposal. Sharky has an instant attraction to Dominoe and in working on this case, their fondness for one another grows. Burt gives one of his best and most well rounded performances as Sgt. Sharky from his most tough and volatile, to his more vulnerable moments as well. The film is remarkable, well acted and well put together overall. Sharky's Machine is a great film that is complex, hard hitting and in my opinion, very under rated.

Burt Reynolds gets to create his own "Dirty Harry" type of role in this Atlanta-set picture. Based on the William Diehl novel, it stars Burt as Tom Sharky, a narcotics detective who switches to the vice department after a bust goes bad. He soon develops an interest in taking down underworld kingpin Victor Scorelli (Vittorio Gassman), although his *real* interest is in Dominoe (Rachel Ward), one of Scorellis' $1000 a night hookers.Although burdened by some bad dialogue and a script that's not always that compelling, "Sharky's Machine" makes for a decent viewing. The storytelling isn't that tight; although the film runs just over two hours, it feels longer. But all things considered, "Sharky's Machine" does have its pleasures. Burt does a passable job as both director and actor; he dials down his charisma to play his part with a grim seriousness. Ward has some appeal, and certainly is desirable. One does understand how Sharky could develop an obsession with this woman.Two things really stand out here. One is the jazz score (more "Dirty Harry" influence) with a number of genre greats playing on the soundtrack. Another is Burts' truly excellent supporting cast. Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Bernie Casey (whose predilection for Zen philosophy is amusing), Richard Libertini, Darryl Hickman, Joseph Mascolo, Carol Locatell, Hari Rhodes, John Fiedler, and James O'Connell co-star, but it's Henry Silva who tends to steal the show as Scorellis' unhinged, drug abusing brother Billy. Diehl himself plays the role of Percy.It must be said that the opening tracking shot is extremely impressive, as it starts out as an aerial shot of the city that eventually finds Reynolds as he is walking his way towards an undercover operation.Although slowly paced, the narrative eventually culminates in an effective little bloodbath, as one character proves incredibly difficult to take down.If you're anything like this viewer, the overall sleazy tone shouldn't bother you.Six out of 10.

Tom Sharky is a narcotics cop in Atlanta who's demoted to vice after bust went wrong, and a member of the public was killed in the process. In the depths of this division, while investigating a high-dollar prostitution ring, Sharky stumbles across a mob murder with government ties, and responds by assembling his downtrodden fellow investigators.This forms Sharky's titular machine and they strive to find the leaders and bring them to justice before they kill off all his partners and witnesses.Including Sharky himself........From the upstart of the movie, its a totally different move for Reynolds. Deliverance aside, he was best known for making comedies, so once Eastwood went into his territory with Bronco Billy, he decided to reverse his roles.And it's a pretty brutal affair. The opening set piece sets the tone for the mood of the whole film, and it's directed solidly by the actor, who makes the mood sometimes almost unbearable.The mid section is a little stodgy unfortunately though, with the 'machine' looking for extra exposition, and Sharky spending a little too much time staring at Rachel Ward through a lens.But it's Silva who steals the thunder from everyone. He is truly psychotic as the PCP riddled killer, and the final set piece is genuinely gripping right until the spectacular, record breaking fall.And it skips to Reynolds and Ward playing with a tyre swing, and then it just finishes, which really feels out of place, especially as the mood swings so rapidly.So its a totally watchable thriller, but it's nothing out of the ordinary, and despite surprising brutal side to the narrative, these thrillers were ten a penny in the eighties.Which isn't a bad thing.

This was one of those films I would always come across (be it on TV or cheap DVD), but never struck me to give it a shot as I thought I wasn't missing out on much. It was on one night and I thought oh well… why not. A good decision too, as I would kick myself for taking so long to get around to it. For me it left me impressed, as it's up there with Burt Reynold's best features ('Deliverance', 'White Lightning' and 'Boogie Nights') and streams back to those 70s/80s gritty, hardboiled urban crime thrillers that weren't afraid to be forebodingly obscure and go out of their way to set-up characters, pack-it with realistically brutal force and effectively incorporate the local locations (Atlanta being the case here) to the fold with grounded photography. In certain shades it kind of reminded me of 'Dirty Harry', but that's loosely. However it's saucily honed blues score with its simmering kicks, funky shifts and unhinged sounds, very much had me thinking of Lalo Schifrin's pulsating score he orchestrated for 'Dirty Harry'. The music soundtrack on the other hand is hit or miss.Sgt. Tom Sharky was an Atlantic narcotic agent before a slip-out during a bust saw him demoted to vice work. Along with his new squad they come across a prostitution ring, which catches their interest due to fact it's owned by one hard-to-track and to convict crime lord. What they dig up involves a prominent government figure and a call-girl which can give them some important names, but they must get to her before she's made a target.Burt Reynold's acts, but also directs in an unyieldingly firm and muscular fashion which would suit his laconically hard-nosed performance and Gerald Di Pego's thematically hard-bitten and taut screenplay (that was adapted from William Diehl's novel). Well he does show some sort of heart/insightful thoughts amongst that armor within the scenes involving the fetchingly able British actress Rachel Ward, be it the stake-out scenes when he's watching her from another building (and slowly becoming infatuated by her) to when they finally come together, but these latter interactions mid-way through do slow up the momentum but give it noir like strokes. The performances are fairly spot on with Reynold's formulating a great rapport with exceptional actors Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Brian Keith, Richard Libertini and Bernie Casey. The scathing profanity and witty dialogues between these guys were a blast. As for the corrupt villains, Vittorio Gassman builds imposing strength and power, but it's Henry Silva (who seems born for these roles) icily cunning and unstoppable turn that makes the show. Where his appearance seems to outline things to come and help them fall into place. Plus his adrenaline-filled and violent cat and mouse climax with Sharky and his team is brilliantly done.The exciting action passages might be quick and dry, but remain lethally violent like an immensely teeth-grinding interrogation sequence. Some handy, old fashion filming techniques add to the suspense. The intriguing material keeps it quite tactical being character derived, but when we think its smooth sailing it offers up a blunt surprise or two along with some intensely brunt confrontations.