User reviews

In Los Angeles, the editor of a publishing house Carol Hunnicut (Anne Archer) goes to a blind date with the lawyer Michael Tarlow (J.T. Walsh), who has embezzled the powerful mobster Leo Watts (Harris Yulin). Carol accidentally witnesses the murder of Michel by Leo's hit-man. The scared Carol sneaks out of Michael's room and hides in an isolated cabin in Canada.

Meanwhile the Deputy District Attorney Robert Caulfield (Gene Hackman) and Sgt. Dominick Benti (M. Emmett Walsh) discover that Carol is a witness of the murder and they report the information to Caulfield's chief Martin Larner (J.A. Preston) and they head by helicopter to Canada to convince Carol to testify against Leo. However they are followed and the pilot and Benti are murdered by the Mafia. Caulfield and Carol flees and they take a train to Vancouver.

Caulfield hides Carol in his cabin and he discloses that there are three hit-man in the train trying to find Carol and kill her. But they do not know her and Caulfield does not know who might be the third killer from the Mafia and who has betrayed him in his office.

"Narrow Margin" is a great remake of the 1952 "The Narrow Margin" by Richard Fleischer. When I saw this remake in the early 90's for the first time, I did not know the original movie. The story is well written and this remake is breathtaking with the action scenes on the roof of the train. Further, the lead actor is the Gene Hackman, one of the best actors of the American cinema. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "De Frente para o Perigo" ("In Front of the Peril")

Gene Hackman is razor-sharp and in fine form here as a Deputy District Attorney who accompanies frightened murder witness Carol Hunnicutt (Anne Archer) on an eventful train ride through the wilds of British Columbia. You see, Carol had watched from the bathroom while mobster Leo Watts (Harris Yulin) and one of his many henchmen (Canadian character actor Nigel Bennett) rubbed out her blind date (the too briefly seen J.T. Walsh). Caulfield (Hackman) tracks Carol down, but these many henchmen are right on their heels, and turn up on the train. Said goons are confident that it's only a matter of time before they find her, although one supposed thing that Caulfield and Carol have in their favour is that the bad guys don't know what she looks like.

Veteran filmmaker Peter Hyams, well known for diversions like "Capricorn One" and "2010" remakes the 1952 film noir classic with surprisingly engaging results. It doesn't quite have the same stark atmosphere, or sense of menace, but it still displays some genuine tension, has some terrific action set pieces (especially on top of and outside the train), and also has some pretty amusing dialogue by Hyams. Hyams, who's served as his own cinematographer since the early 80s, does tend to under light scenes at times, a common element in his work. But he gives it some great pace; even though this version runs about 25 minutes longer than the 1952 one, it doesn't meander and gives us a number of compelling scenes. Particularly strong are conversations between Hackman and James B. Sikking (a regular in Hyams' filmography), who plays one of the goons, and between Hackman and Archer. The latter does a wonderful job of humanizing her, since it is possible that some people might not find her sympathetic enough before that point.

Hackman is always fun to watch, and he makes for a solid hero. Archer is a delight, as usual. J.T. Walsh has one of *his* most sympathetic roles in a movie (he was often relegated to sleazy, white-collar criminal types), and he of course is great. So is M. Emmet Walsh, even if he's also under utilized as the detective who accompanies Caulfield to Carols' hideout.

Ultimately, this movie version doesn't pull off its twists as well as the 1952 version, but it has enough entertainment value to make it well worth a viewing.

Eight out of 10.

Terrific action thriller with great actors. Unfortunately, they don't have much to say because the action takes over. There isn't much time to develop a character when you're being chased up and down a mountain. Still, this is a great example of the genre. I can't help but think that it would have been a lot more successful financially with younger, hipper stars. I also think that would have ruined it.

The direction is very matter-of-fact. Some movies like this reel you in with a definite "atmosphere", stylized to death. I'm tempted to say this movie has no style at all, but that would be a disservice to Hackman and Archer, who give it all the style it needs.

This film pops up frequently on the tube, and with good reason -- it's lean, smart, and superbly acted. Director Hyams makes the most of the claustrophobic train interior contrasting with the wide open Canadian wilderness. Gene Hackman has never been better. Tension is built through a series of one-on-one confrontations, each with electric undercurrents. The best by far is the gentlemanly chat between Hackman and James Sikking in the dining car. The standard "action-packed" ending is a bit disappointing. But don't let this stop you if you're into suspense films for the thinking person.

If your memory is good, you'll recall that this is a remake of the B&W sleeper classic starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor called "The Narrow Margin," with most of the action taking place aboard the confinement of a speeding train. Their tough chemistry throughout made it very watchable indeed.

The remake has made a few minor changes in the story and expanded the scenery to include some lush images of Canadian forests and countryside to give credit to some photogenic Canadian wilderness from various angles.

The expansions mean the film isn't quite as taut as the '52 thriller with occasional dull stretches of talk, but the performances are so good that it doesn't matter too much. It still contains a spellbinding climax aboard the top of the train that includes some dangerous stunt work and a nice twist, as well as spectacular moments involving a helicopter.

Not bad at all, passes the time quickly and once the suspense aboard the train starts there's no turning away.

Perhaps not as good as the original, but still worth watching. Gene Hackman and Anne Archer do fine work at the head of a competent cast.

"Narrow Margin" is such a good suspenseful Thriller with an excellent performance by the legendary Gene Hackman.

Gene Hackman plays the role of a smart & no-nonsense L. A District Attorney who is on a mission to get a witness from the ruggedness wilderness of Canada to Los Angeles to testify against a deadly mob boss. The key witness is played by Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction) as Carol Hunnicutt, a nice lady who happened to witness a mafia killing & escaped unseen but now her life is in danger & gruff-voiced Caulfield (Hackman) turns up at her secret remote cabin hideaway to get her to safety but Assassin's are on their trail.

I loved the beautiful scenery & cinematography of the gorgeous wilderness of Canada & i loved the whole hiding out on a train with Assassin's searching for them & i loved the chemistry between Hackman's no-nonsense hard suit who wants the mafia boss behind bars no matter what & Archer's tough but vulnerable Carol & how they learn to work together. The suspenseful moments are perfectly crafted for a a thrill ride thriller & the train setting is perfectly closed-in & trapped in feeling & their's an incredible scene where Hackman sits at a table with the Assassin's in a great cinematic moment of outsmarting each other with wit & sarcasm & Hackman is Amazing & shows why he's an award winning actor.

There's also a nice little role for the great "Character Actor" M. Emmet Walsh (Wild Wild West, Blade Runner, Christmas with the Kranks, Fletch) as an L. A Cop who is just two years away from retirement & the actor gives a nice little performance that feels important & he opens the film nicely with Hackman by his side as & they both travel to the Witnesses remote cabin & it's nice having the actor there with fellow veteran Hackman, two greats together sharing scenes.

The music score is good too & it's a well crafted thriller by director Peter Hyams.

My only complaint is that it all of a sudden skips to a quick ending? One minute Hackman & Archer are on the train & just fought off the Assassin's & next their in the Courtroom? It felt very rushed & left an important bit out that at the end when the train was to stop they were supposed to still be in danger from the Mafia that was supposed to be waiting for them!!!

This was said by the Assassin's on the train yet it skips them arriving & stopping? Would've been a Cult Classic film with a more detailed ending that tied things up abit.

Still Narrow Margin is a solid suspenseful thriller with top notch performances by Hackman & Archer & is never boring.

It's odd to like an original film and then like the re-make equally so, if not more, but that's the case with this film. I have viewed both versions of this film at least three times apiece and thoroughly enjoy both.

Almost 55 years ago, this was a film noir called "The Narrow Margin" and in 1990, this re-make took off the "The" on the title. However, as is sometimes the case with remakes, some of the twists and turns of this thriller were also changed from the first film.

They didn't spoil it. I have no objection to the changes made here because the bottom line is entertainment, and that's where this movie excels. Plausible? No, but neither was the original, for that matter, and neither are a lot of suspense/ crime films.

What makes this re-run good, in addition to the great suspense, are several other things: 1 - Gene Hackman, one of the best actors of his generation and often overlooked in discussions of great actors; 2 - nice photography featuring some great train shots and the scenic Canadian Rockies; 3 - an interesting assortment of characters, some of which keep you guessing whether they are the good guys or the bad guys; 4 - a dash of humor thrown in here and there to break the tension.

In addition to Hackman, we see the sexy Anne Archer, who gives a nice film noir feel to the movie and we get some good supporting performances including two from guys with the same last name: J.T. and Emmet Walsh and one from a guy who plays one of the hit men: James Sikking. That's a name I'm not familiar with, but he has a scene talking to Hackman that is riveting.

The main fault of the movie at least to me, was the "Rambo" mentality in which I mean the villains have the good guy in point-blank, can't-miss range several times and....you guessed it: they miss. The action scenes in here are great but lack credibility, or this would be almost as good as it could ever get for a "thriller." I'm still tempted to rate it a "10" for the entertainment value alone.

A few weeks ago my Aunt (a very nice woman) gave me a copy of Narrow Margin DVD, which was free with the Daily Mail. I had not heard of this film before but was pleased to see that Gene Hackman was in it so I thought I would give it a go in the machine and I must say I'm glad I did.

NARROW MARGIN DVD Narrow Margin (1990) is basically about Carol Hunnicut (Anne Archer) who witnesses a mob killing of her blind date and goes on the run,hiding in a remote part of Canada. L.A. District Attorney Robert Caulfield (Gene Hackman) is informed of her whereabouts by a close friend who then tracks her down to testify but it's not to long before the Mob (bad guys) find out where she is too. Both the cop and the witness are chased through the Canadian Rockies, where their only hope is to take refuge on a claustrophobic Vancouver-bound train. Caulfield (Hackman) is then double crossed by a bent cop and so the killers know there every movement on board the train.

The talented Gene Hackman plays his part extremely well as so does the reluctant witness Anne Archer,who both help make this a compelling and an enthralling film to watch. The chase whilst there on the train is very exciting with great scenic mountain views in the background. Here is a link from IMDb showing a clip of the chase on the roof of the train which is well worth watching in my opinion. http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1083965721/

I must say I did enjoy watching Narrow Margin, although I noticed some of the shots/special effects of the speeding Vancouver-bound train looked like plastic scaled models (I'm sure I'm right). The story is fair perhaps a bit simple but I suppose most films revolving around a train chase are. As I said if Gene Hackman was not in this film or someone to match his caliber this film would spell out a big MISS. Yes you could say this is yet another chase film/movie but may I say it's certainly fun to watch.

SUMMARY Narrow Margin DVD is an exciting film and one I would recommend watching first before you go out and buy it full price. Gene Hackman's performance is top notch and with the help of Peter Hyams (Director) they successfully succeeded in making this a very compelling film to watch and appreciate,especially the gripping chase on the train. I am pretty sure most of you will enjoy the fast pace through out the film and at 94 mins there's never a dull moment. 6.6/10

For once, the remake is better than the original. Richard Fleischer's black and white movie has many fans, and rightly so, but the 1990 version really has something to it that makes me watch it again and again. The story and the characters have largely improved, and someone really had a lucky hand with the casting here. Gene Hackman gives a great performance as the loudmouth police detective who finds out that he is not as smart as he had thought. He is on his own, he is scared and he also has a bad conscience. Along with numerous action scenes he shows all these sentiments, the viewers can really feel with him. The same can be said for Anne Archer, together with Hackman she makes a formidable team. She is really perfect for the part of an upper middle class businesswoman who is looking for some romance and suddenly finds herself on the hit list of the mob. A formidable opening scene with a short but really great performance by J.T. Walsh sets the tone, and the tension never loosens.

A very important part is also played by the landscape, a remote, idyllic part of Western Canada, I believe. The director successfully succeeded in putting a romantic scenery opposite to the harrowing plot, the hectic action which has nothing to do with its immediate surroundings. Nature is depicted in its friendliest forms of appearance as an innocent bystander. Everything is so normal, so lovely, except ...

Hitchcockian is a word that could describe this 1990 thriller, itself a remake of a '50s suspense movie. NARROW MARGIN has all the ingredients that we recognise from the master's movies: a train setting; two killers in endless pursuit; a tough-talking heroine and an ordinary man turned hero. Unfortunately, another word I could use to describe this movie is "bland". "Soulless" would be a third.

It's not that it's bad – it isn't. It's well made, certainly, and technically proficient, let down by only a few lacklustre special effects (such as the superimposed woman in the 'tunnel' scene at the film's climax). Director Peter Hyams was by this stage an old hand at this sort of movie, and he'd already delivered a successful film with a very similar plot, albeit with a sci-fi setting, in 1981's OUTLAND. Another positive is Gene Hackman playing the male lead. Hackman is, like Sean Connery before him, very good at playing an every man hero relying on his wits and abilities to keep himself alive. Without Hackman, this film would have been a lot less entertaining. He's not enthralling here as he has been elsewhere, but his subdued, mannered performance is spot on and he makes his dialogue come alive.

It's what the film's lacking that works against it. Although it's a suspense movie, there's little suspense built up here. I can't blame the photography, which makes full usage of claustrophobic inter-train settings and the Canadian wilderness; I can't blame the plot here, which moves nicely along with just the right number of twists and action scenes. The supporting cast isn't half bad, either; M. Emmet Walsh is always a pleasure, even in a truncated turn like his one here; and James B. Sikking is unmissable too. I suppose one of my problems lies with Anne Archer, whose hard heroine is far from likable; she bitches and moans almost the entire running time, even though she's the one the plot hinges around.

Even now I can't put my figure on what I don't like about this film – it just wasn't anything I could get worked up over. I love the premise, have enjoyed its execution in such varied fare as BREAKHEART PASS and UNDER SIEGE 2, but I could work up no excitement over this. I just feel that the director's heart wasn't in it – and what's left is a perfunctory outing in which everyone's just picking up the pay cheque.

This movie succeeds on the talent of Gene Hackman and his co-stars especially Anne Archer and James Sikking. The story is as follows Carol Hunnicutt (Archer) is a witness to a mob killing, so she hides in a remote part of Canada. los Angeles Deputy D.A Robert Caulfield (Hackman)is given the task of finding her to bring her back to L.A to testify at a Mob trial, but he accidently tells the Hit-men out to silence her - her whereabouts, so when he arrives at her remote cabin, there a helicopter full of bad guys waiting for them - so begins a enjoyably suspense chase through remote Canada, they decide to get on a Cross-Country train.. but the bad guys are also on board, so theyt spend the night trying to avoid a bullet. If it sounds familiar it's because the movie's a remake of the 1950'S RKO Picture of the same name starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor.

Double crosses,dirty cops and tension throughout but the script could have been better and the movie (just over 90 mins) could have been longer and the climax is slightly disappointing

otherwise it's a good early 1990's movie from Peter Hyams who's had a bit of a hit and miss career since,HIT:- Timecop (1994) and The Relic (1997) and Sudden Death (1995) - MISS:- Stay Tuned (1992) and End of days (1999)

My rating 8/10

What a completely redundant and pointless idea to do a remake of Richard Fleischer's superb and still perfectly undated film-noir masterpiece "The Narrow Margin"… But hey, bad ideas got turned into highly entertaining movies before and particularly the cast & crew involved in this early 90's production should make you more confident. Peter Hyams is a gifted director (and an even better cinematographer), Gene Hackman is his good old reliable self and, since the script pretty much follows the same trail – or should I say 'rail' – as the '52 original, you already know that'll be good as well. Carol Hunnicut witnesses the cold-blooded murder of a mafia attorney at the end of their blind date and promptly becomes the only key witness ever to testify against well-protected crime lord Leo Watts. When the dedicated prosecutor Robert Caulfield travels out her secluded hideout place in order to convince the reluctant woman to do the right thing, this triggers a virulent deadly cat and mouse game with a duo of professional killers. The chase largely takes place on the night train to Vancouver (the ideal inescapable location) and the good guys' only advantage is that their opponents don't know what Carol looks like. One of the taglines proudly claims that "Narrow Margin" will take you to the edge of suspense. That is perhaps a slightly too optimistic promise, but it's definitely one of the better suspense-thrillers of its time. A lot of little elements and twists in the plot seem rushed and don't make a whole lot of sense, but who cares when there's stuff to enjoy like a spectacular helicopter Vs. Jeep chase through the Canadian forests or an exhilarating battle of train's rooftop? Bruce Broughton's divinely unsettling score most definitely increases the tension level even more. Gene Hackman clearly enjoyed starring in this light-headed action thriller and particularly his speech to the killers – about why he prefers working on the right side of the law – is truly priceless. There are some great names in the supportive cast as well (J.T. Walsh, M. Emmet Walsh…) but sadly their roles are too brief. Overall recommended as long as you don't anticipate a flawless masterpiece but, if it ever comes down to choosing just one, go for the superior 50's original.

This tense,taut thriller deals about a D.A. protecting a witness(Anne Archer) on a train journey throughout the wilderness Canadian Rockies back to Los Angeles.He must save her from deadly killers (Nigel Bennet, James B. Sikking). Hackman fights to keep them both safe from the hard-boiled hit-men in some exciting pursuits such as helicopters and aboard and in top train .

Well made film full of noisy action, tension , suspense, breathtaking stunts and spectacular set pieces. A real cat and mouse game between Hackman-Archer and heavies Sikking-Bennet. Gene Hackman is splendid as two-fisted deputy prosecutor who is in charge of transporting a widow and he must attempt to keep her safe from the murderous who would kill her to testify against a mobster played by Harris Yulin. Relieable Anne Archer is first rate as reluctant and long-suffering witness . Lavishly produced cost 20 millions of dollar by today disappeared Carolco created by the famous producers, Mario Kassar and Andrew G Vajna. Moving and stirring musical score by Bruce Broughton, fitting perfectly to action. This thrilling motion picture is finely photographed and stunningly directed by Peter Hyams . However it results to be an inferior remake of its predecessor, a noir classic directed by Richard Fleischer with Mary Windsor and Charles McGraw, one of the best films of the 50s and one of the most successful in the story of RKO.

Director and writer Peter Hyams took the bold decision to reimage one of the best film noir crime pictures of the 1950s, and all things considered it's not half bad. Without getting close to the greatness of Richard Fleischer's 1952 claustrophobic suspenser that is.

Having Gene Hackman and Anne Archer heading up your two principal characters is a good foundation. As the district attorney employee and witness to a mob killing respectively, both actors come up trumps for their director as they are thrust into a game of cat and mouse aboard a speeding train. As the Canadian wilderness outside the train's windows soothes the eyes, the cramped interiors make for good suspense as Hackman plays the calm to Archer's panic.

There's nothing new here in terms of thriller conventions, and the pitfalls and familiarity of the plot's ideas keep it from hitting better heights: people still do dumb things – important details are all too quickly swept aside – laws of gravity non existent and etc. But refreshingly Hyams resists the chance to insert a cloying romance, while his staging of suspense scenes are very well handled. But of course he's got Hackman being as cool as a cucumber... 6.5/10

This is Peter Hyams' directing masterpiece, besides his other masterpiece called "Capricorn One". Both classics represent the pinnacle of succes of his entire directing carreer. Gotta give this classic a try if you are into suspense thrillers.

The story: 2 mobsters on a train want to kill a witness before she is about to testify in court. Gene Hackman is there to protect her while they are on a train from Canada to the US court. Will they survive the train ride ?

Anne Archer, the female leading actress, gives her best performance of her entire carreer. Gene Hackman maybe isnt known very well anymore by the younger audience, but this guy was one of the very best American actors of the seventies, eighties AND nineties. Seeing is believing, you can judge for yourself. Terrific actor's chemistry. All the actors act true to life by the way. In a suspenseful thriller like this, realism is SO important. It's all about the true to life details of acting and dialogue that make this thriller rise far above all the many other mediocre suspense stories.

"Narrow Margin" is a classic that has stood the test of time. Almost 30 years old, and from beginning to end it still mesmirizes me, even after having seen it over 15 times...

The photography is jaw dropping gorgeous, with every scene lighted in such beautiful dynamic dark contrasts that they sometimes remind me of similar gorgeous lighting in "The Godfather". This director Peter Hyams has directed, produced, written (adapted) AND photographed this movie. A quadruple whammy. Total control. And that shows, for the better! Finally, I wanna applaud the music score as well, because the suspenseful, gorgeous soundtrack is just do die for. Shreek and eery thin string arrangements, that conjure up so much eery tension. Few films nowadays get a soundtrack in which every scene has its dedicated score.

Especially recommended for those folks who can appreciate the finer qualities of movies with regard to acting, dialogue and photography. It is a rock solid suspense thriller. They dont get made much like this anymore...

(Credit IMDb) A woman secretly witnesses the murder of her blind date for the evening by a top Mafia boss. She immediately goes into hiding without informing the authorities. When they finally catch up with her, she is unwilling to testify to what she has seen, but the Mafia are on her trail. Accompanied by a deputy district attorney, the woman boards a train travelling through a remote part of Canada. The Mafia know him but they have never seen her.

Come on! It's Gene Hackman. Do you really need much more of a recommendation? It's rather derivative and nothing all that special, but Hackman can make the dullest of things come to life. With any other lead actor, this movie would have probably been very mediocre. With his presence, it becomes above average. I was surprised about the decent amount of suspense as well. Anne Archer makes for a great heroine, while the two Walsh's are solid as well. I've never seen the original, but I personally enjoyed this

6.3/10

First and foremost, I will never understand why one of the best actors ( Gene Hackman) chose to play the lead role in this remake. Think about the role he played in The French Connection, as the tough cop Popeye Doyle, and compare it to the role in Narrow Margin as a Los Angeles deputy district attorney, Robert Caulfield. Gene Hackman fails to portray the true attributes of a district attorney and instead he comes across as someone winging it and learning what to do as time passes. Anne Archer comes across as a dumb drama queen being carried along by Caulfield, and I can't understand how she was able to go through so much stress and anxiety without food or liquid refreshments.

In addition to that, Caulfield goes through 48 hours without having to shave or sleep, and eat food.

The fight scene in the washroom is absolutely laughable because there is no way that Caulfield would have been able to leave his shoes and trousers in such a way to convince the hit man to believe that he was having a crap and be able to catch and shoot him while he was emptying his bowels. Also, it's simply not possible for anyone to crash through a plate glass window without leaving a mark on his face and a mere cut on his hand. It would have been better if the movie had been a comedy because I argue that it would be difficult for anyone to watch the entire thing without laughing.

Gene Hackman and Anne Archer star in a good thriller that has tense moments and wonderful Canadian scenery. The story is of a frightened woman who sees a man killed and takes flight to avoid having to appear as a witness to a murder. Hackman is the resourceful district attorney who convinces Archer to return to Los Angeles and testify against the killers. The rest of the picture details a game of cat and mouse between Hackman, Archer and their pursuers who see Archer as a loose end and are determined to keep her from the courtroom. The scenes of pursuit atop the moving passenger train have been done in other films but is expertly done here without becoming a cliché. The picture does have its flaws but is a diverting film and any movie starring Hackman is certainly worth watching.

"Narrow Margin" succeeds as entertainment on several levels. First there are two superior action sequences, one involving a helicopter and the other on top of the train. Gene Hackman turns in a believable performance, with nice support from J.T. Walsh and M. Emit Walsh. Ann Archer is forgettable as the assassination target. The movie is not perfect, but character development is good, and there are just enough surprises to keep you involved. The scenery and photography are another plus. I have not seen the original, so have no comparison like other reviewers, but "Narrow Margin" can stand on it's own as fine entertainment and nothing else really matters. - MERK