Sharky's Machine (1981)

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.

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.

I'm a fan of B grade 80s films in which the hero is a bit of a bad guy, a strong male, who finds love - and this film delivers!Towards the finish you do not know how Sharky will not be killed (and doesn't he take a beating! Realistically portrayed I believe). However he does and it's not via some overdone 'Die Hard' stunt. The 'past it' team he works with comes together, hence the title. His team are all characters - people on the sideline at work because they don't quite conform. These portrayals are funny and sympathetic - they have a real feeling to them. They're up against an iceman of an assassin, with a good team of his own. The result is a great film noir.

I like Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights) playing a cop, and he didn't do too bad as a director here either.He had a great supporting cast of cops and criminals: Vittorio Gassman makes a great crime boss; Henry Silva (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) makes a great psychopath; Brian Keith ("Family Affair"), Charles Durning (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), Bernie Casey, and Richard Libertini (A Grandpa for Christmas) all make great partners; and, there is, of course, Rachel Ward ("The Thorn Birds"), who got a Golden Globe nomination out of her performance.Lots of action, superb performances, and a great story.