China Moon

**_Neo-noir in the heart of Florida with Ed Harris, Madeleine Stowe and Benicio Del Toro_** A good detective in the Tampa Bay area (Harris) trains his greenhorn partner (Del Toro) while starting a relationship with an alluring woman (Stowe). It turns out she’s in an abusive marriage with a pompous banker (Charles Dance). Havoc ensues. “China Moon” (1994) is a crime drama/thriller similar to “Body Heat” from over a dozen years earlier; even the setting is similar. The difference is that “Body Heat” was a hit at the box office while this one failed to acquire an audience and basically went into obscurity. Regardless, it’s a well-done ‘modern’ film noir that’s more conventional than highly stylized, but includes some brooding rainy night sequences. The acting is great, but the forced ending is ridiculous. It wasn’t necessary. Kyle (Harris) finding himself in an ironic role while his rookie pal suddenly discovers how to be a detective was interesting enough. Then it gets eye-rolling. Why Sure! Still, if you like neo-noir and the actors, it’s worth checking out. The movie runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in the Greater Tampa Bay area, including Lakeland and Bartow, which are an hour’s drive east of Tampa; and St. Pete’s Beach. GRADE: B-