Stakeout Reviews

It doesn't matter that this film is a traditional cop vs. killer picture, since it is presented in very human terms and sparkles with top-flight performances from Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, and Madeleine Stowe. Chris Leece (Dreyfuss) is a plainclothes detective on the Seattle police force, a man with a thankless job and an empty life until he and his partner, Bill Reimers (Estevez), are assigned to stake out the home of Maria McGuire (Stowe), the former girlfriend of escaped killer Stick Montgomery (Aidan Quinn). Chris meets Maria when he pretends to be a phone repairman and bugs her phones, and they are quickly attracted to each other. But fugitive Montgomery plans to retrieve not only the loot from his last job (hidden in Maria's apartment) but also his girl. STAKEOUT is a well-handled, quick-paced, and often funny film that accurately details the humdrum routine of police work. Director John Badham expertly mixes just the right amount of action with a very delightful romance. This movie marked a virtuoso return for Dreyfuss, who is captivating in his role.