This was Al Pacino's first box office success of the 1980s. In 1983, "Scarface" came out and didn't do much business - the critics took a beating on it and Pacino's career suffered quite a deal throughout the decade - "Cruising," "Revolution," and "Author! Author!" didn't help much, either.<br /><br />"Sea of Love" transformed everything for him. It was a success financially and (somewhat) critically, and it helped him get more roles in the '90s.<br /><br />Looking back now, in 2005, it still holds up as entertainment, and sleazy entertainment at that, but the ending is too routine, insulting and oh-so-typical of the genre; it's the "trick 'em at the end" leg-puller where the murderer is revealed to be the most stupid of characters and you can't believe the film's ended on such a low note.<br /><br />The rest of it is actually pretty good. Pacino delivers an unusual performance as a socially and sexually awkward cop who meets a murder suspect (Ellen Barkin) and falls for her, only to realize she may be targeting him next.<br /><br />"Basic Instinct" got away with copying a lot of this a couple years later, but I prefer "Sea of Love." It's erotic and sleazy and entertaining without resorting to cheap tactics like full-frontal nudity. Then again you do get to see Ellen Barkin naked and that's never a bad thing.<br /><br />The movie focuses on its characters, and I liked that. I just wish the ending would have been up to par with the rest of the production.<br /><br />It's an entertaining movie, but don't expect anything of substance.