{"id":5999,"date":"2008-11-28T10:48:34","date_gmt":"2008-11-28T17:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5999"},"modified":"2020-11-26T02:31:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T09:31:40","slug":"against-all-odds-1984","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5999","title":{"rendered":"Against All Odds (1984)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;It&#8217;s simple: either you want to play football again, or you don&#8217;t.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster-195x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-54981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster-195x300.png 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster-667x1024.png 667w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster-83x128.png 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster-176x270.png 176w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Poster.png 721w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA football player (Jeff Bridges) recently fired from his team is hired by a gambler (James Woods) to hunt down his missing girlfriend (Rachel Ward) in Mexico; but things get sticky when Bridges falls for Ward himself.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Corruption<\/li>\n<li>Femmes Fatales<\/li>\n<li>Gambling<\/li>\n<li>Has-Beens<\/li>\n<li>James Woods Films<\/li>\n<li>Jane Greer Films<\/li>\n<li>Jeff Bridges Films<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Richard Widmark Films<\/li>\n<li>Search<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nFew elements work in this well-meaning but fatally flawed update of Jacques Tourneur&#8217;s classic <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16993\"><em>Out of the Past<\/em> (1948)<\/a>. While both Bridges and Ward are naturally appealing leads:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-1024x554.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-1024x554.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-1536x832.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges-499x270.png 499w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Ward-Bridges.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; they&#8217;re saddled with such an awkward, muddled script (the synopsis above barely touches on the complexity of the dense plot, which involves insider gambling and high-level corruption) that it&#8217;s difficult to care about either their ill-fated romance or their respective predicaments. Ward&#8217;s family problems &#8212; she&#8217;s the spoiled, petulant daughter of a wealthy land developer &#8212; are never fully explored, and she fails to project the necessary edginess or complexity of a truly compelling <em>femme fatale<\/em>. Meanwhile, James Woods is either badly miscast or badly directed in a pivotal role as Ward&#8217;s covetous lover: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-1024x568.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"355\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-1024x568.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-1536x853.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-486x270.png 486w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Woods.png 1825w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While no one would ever accuse Woods of an inability to project &#8220;slime&#8221;, he nonetheless fails to embody the &#8220;Mr. Big&#8221; presence required of his character here. Worst of all, however, is director Taylor Hackford&#8217;s decision to have his actors spout neo-noir dialogue (&#8220;I love you, Jessie. Why did that have to be a bad thing?&#8221;) as though it&#8217;s realistic banter; attempts to infuse this type of hardboiled rhetoric into modern cinematic settings (c.f. Rian Johnson&#8217;s <em>Brick<\/em>, 2005) are tricky at best, and the effort fails completely here &#8212; it&#8217;s almost laughable, but (sadly) not quite. Not even the presence of cinematic icon Richard Widmark (badly underused):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-1024x558.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-1024x558.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-1536x837.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark-495x270.png 495w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Widmark.png 1825w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; or <em>Out of the Past<\/em>&#8216;s original star, Jane Greer:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-1024x562.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-1024x562.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-1536x843.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer-492x270.png 492w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/11\/Against-All-Odds-Greer.png 1813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; can revive this disappointing thriller, which should be much better than it is. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><br \/>\nNot much. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; this one can easily be skipped. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0086859\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1984\/03\/02\/movies\/screen-against-all-odds.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/against-all-odds-1984\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qwipster.net\/against.htm\">Qwipster&#8217;s Movie Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s simple: either you want to play football again, or you don&#8217;t.&#8221; Synopsis: A football player (Jeff Bridges) recently fired from his team is hired by a gambler (James Woods) to hunt down his missing girlfriend (Rachel Ward) in Mexico; but things get sticky when Bridges falls for Ward himself. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Corruption Femmes Fatales Gambling Has-Beens James Woods Films Jane Greer Films Jeff Bridges Films Love Triangle Richard Widmark Films Search Review: Few elements work in&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5999\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5999"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54988,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5999\/revisions\/54988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}