The Honorary Consul

9/30/19831h 44m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ First they betrayed him. Then they gambled with his life. ~

Overview:

Set in a small politically unstable Latin American country, the story follows the half English and half Latino Dr. Eduardo Plarr, who left his home to find a better life. Along the way he meets an array of people, including British Consul Charley Fortnum, a representative in Latin America who is trying to keep Revolution from occurring. He is also a remorseful alcoholic. Another person the doctor meets is Clara, whom he immediately falls in love with, but there is a problem: Clara is Charley's wife.

Director:

John Mackenzie

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$11,800,000.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

diplomat
adultery
based on novel or book
kidnapping
rebel
revolution
love
doctor
alcoholic

Cast

Michael Caine

~ as ~

Charley Fortnum

Richard Gere

~ as ~

Dr. Eduardo Plarr

Bob Hoskins

~ as ~

Colonel Perez

Elpidia Carrillo

~ as ~

Clara

Joaquim de Almeida

~ as ~

Leon

A Martinez

~ as ~

Aquino

Stephanie Cotsirilos

~ as ~

Marta

Domingo Ambriz

~ as ~

Diego

Geoffrey Palmer

~ as ~

British Ambassador

Leonard Maguire

~ as ~

Dr. Humphries

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 6 month(s) ago
6
With both Paraguay and Argentina under junta governments, doctor "Eduardo" (Richard Gere) returns to his homeland where he quickly befriends the eponymous gent "Fortnum" (Michael Caine) before making even closer friends with his somewhat open-minded wife "Clara" (Elpidia Carrillo). Ostensibly an upstanding member of the community it soon becomes clear that this physician is conflicted, and that comes to an head when his dipso friend is charged with driving the US Ambassador to visit a waterfall. The rebels get wind of this trip and plan to kidnap the visiting diplomat, but they get the wrong man and aren't impressed with the boozed-up light-weight that find themselves stuck with. Still, they can still use him as leverage to have some of their colleagues released from jail, or can they? Does anyone really care about this man who's frankly become a bit of a nuisance, a liability even? The only chance poor old "Fortnum" might have is if local police chief "Perez" (Bob Hoskins) can find where he is being held before his captors lose patience, or run out of whiskey! Caine is on quite good form here as he takes to the role of the alcoholic convincingly, and though he really only features sparingly his is by far the better effort. Otherwise, there's lots of sex between Gere and Carrillo, but their personas remain largely undercooked by a weak script and a rather limited supporting cast who underplay the freedom-fighting elements of the plot and render them a little better than a sideshow. It's really only a vehicle for Gere, this film, and an unremarkable one at that.