This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

the audience applauded

Don't Believe the Hype

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is a well crafted albeit formulaic movie. I don't find much fault with it - a blinking corpse can't distract me (contrary to other reviewers, as it seems). Incidentally, irritation is a major factor in the story, the main character, an ultra pedantic controller from a global consultancy enterprise (frankly a great, contemporary creation and a good, convincing performance by Michael Keaton) represents just a little, irritating grain of sand in the international machinery of crime.The plot is the 39 steps, Saboteur, North by Northwest etc. all over. A wrongly accused and framed man on the run gets help from a beautiful woman and succeeds in turning the table on his pursuers. The grace, elegance and beauty of actress Judith Godrèche is a major asset of Quicksand. As far as the crime and the front for it are concerned, I found the movie credible. I assume in this aspect it relates to actuality more accurately than one might feel comfortable with. White slave trade from Eastern Europe is a new and unpleasant reality in Western Europe and probably in America as well. It happens in front of our doorsteps, so to speak. If Quicksand helps to bring this to mind, all the better.They had some excellent location scouts working on this movie. Almost the whole story evolves in and around the town of Nice and I found they caught the feel of this picture postcard place with its not so nice underbelly perfectly. There is a great assassination scene in the central district - and one will find references to Hitchcock's Nice-movie To Catch a Thief here and there. My favorite location is the small open air cinema high up above the coastline in the hills which serves as meeting place between Keaton and Godrèche. Who wouldn't like to be there when the projector starts rolling?

Really, this movie is trash.The plot has more holes than Swiss cheese and the storyline is so lame I found myself laughing hysterically. I'm sorry, I could not suspend my disbelief for this one.My girlfriend rented it because she likes the two Mikes....I like 'em too but I swear they must have done this one for a tax write off or as a favour or to get out of some other contractual obligation.It was so bad I was looking at the credits to try and find out who funded it....it was so bad I thought it had to be a telefim Canada project or some other government body somewhere...which would explain the multi shooting units, Canada, US, Monaco and England.But no...someone put up good money for this bad display of cinematography. How it ended up like this is beyond me.I mean, there are some okay moments but it's like it was shot in another language and then translated....it just doesn't work.I got lost so many times as to what the story line was I gave up...and some of the linkages are so weak a six-year-old could have done better at show and tell.I'm not going to spoil it for anyone because I honestly can't bring myself to parrot the story line....with it's predictable ending.At one point though, I did think it was art imitating life imitating art, or was that life imitating art...never mind..the premise has something to do the illusion of movie making and how things aren't always as they appear to be, but it's done with such heavy handed direction and editing, it's a complete yawner.My advice? Unless you are a student of the form, stay away. If you are a student of the form, watch and learn what not to do.

This movie had potential. Speedy script: Class actors: competent crew; but somehow missed out. Half way through it became predictable. The denouement was hackneyed. There were enough bright moments to make it watchable through to the end but it is not a film I would ever watch again if I were given the choice. Nor is it one that either of the two Michael's will be remembered for.For me the freshest thing to come out of this film was the performance of the female lead Judith Godreche. Attractive and sparkling she earns the sympathy of the viewer which is something that the characters portrayed by Messrs. Caine and Keaton fail to do.

This film proves that Michael Keaton is best suited for comedy. While he was convincing as a sociopath in Pacific Heights, his performance as the father of a kidnapped daughter had a lot to be desired. Keaton acted as if he didn't want to be in this film! eh Ditto for the rest of the cast! The entire film lacked any shred of continuity or believability. Not to mention the corny one-liners that were inappropriately thrown in. Now I know why it took me four years to see this piece of DRECK! LOL! -D, NYC "I hope people watch this movie (Sidewalks of New York) and still see New York as the greatest city in the world. I certainly do!" - EDWARD BURNS, actor/filmmaker