Melanie Griffith is an underrated actress. She shows emotions well with her eyes & facial expressions. I give her credit for attempting a different kind of role in 1992. I imagine this was considered "career growth" in her opinion, knowing she could not play the ingénue, hooker, bimbo, Goth-girl forever. So I don't see her miscast as a cop at that point in her career. This film tries to be many things at once & has some loose ends. Initially, one would think this is a love story, but it really isn't. Emily (Griffith) & Ariel (Eric Thal) look at each other a lot but there aren't many sparks flying. As a police drama it falls short there too, because we don't see Emily doing much investigating, just living among the Hasidic Jews & getting a feel & appreciation for their lifestyle. The depiction of the Hasidic Jews, shot in sepia tones, may be inaccurate at times but I feel it's the film's strongest point. The characters also tend to be too stereotyped. Emily's father appears to be an Irish alcoholic, the gangsters (James Gandolfini & Chris Latta) are Italian. Det. Levine (John Pankow)is an anti-semitic Jew calling the Hasidic Jews "an embarrassment" while showing ignorance of their customs, & the rebbe sounds like he's doing an impersonation of Jackie Mason. I also think the scene when Emily first arrives in their neighborhood while "Fiddler On The Roof" type music plays on the soundtrack is a bit over-the-top. She also seems in awe of the area which is far-fetched since she's a New York cop who must have driven through it more than once. As for the loose ends, we never find out who helped the killer & assisted her to place the body where it was found, & was Emily really at the wedding or just "in spirit"? Also, when Emily realizes who the killer really is, it just seemed like an afterthought to the love story that never materialized. I still recommend this movie because it has Melanie Griffth & shows a culture that is not often depicted in films.
Review of A Stranger Among Us
