A glaring plot-hole: The last, and pointless, act of a desperate man?

In the 1991 movie ‘The Hard Way’ with Michael J. Fox and James Woods, the former (playing the part of a Hollywood actor) observes to the later (playing the part of a tough and street-wise cop) ‘The killer always goes after the hero’s girlfriend or family in the third act [of a Hollywood screenplay] that way it makes things more personal.’

This is exactly what happens in ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’, and in this case the plot-twist is completely pointless, and shows a glaring plot-hole in the movie.

Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) witnesses the murder of a friend – Win Hockings - at the hands of Joey Venza (Andreas Katsulas) He is arrested and identified in a line-up. Later he is released on bail after a [would be] procedural error in his arrest.

He hires a hit man for a failed attempt on Claire’s life, as she is protected by Michael Keegan (Tom Berenger.)

There is absolutely no personal connection between Keegan and Venza – apart from the fact that they are different sides of the law and that Keegan ran behind Venza with a gun, to arrest him, before Venza turned himself in.

In real life (which this most certainly is NOT) the Venza character (in his right mind) should use his underworld connections to go on the run to a non-extradition country, his business interests in the US would have to be sacrificed for the murder that he committed.

Meanwhile, in ‘movie-land’ – which is entirely separate from ‘real life’ – Joey Venza then kidnaps and holds Keegan’s family hostage, supposedly in the belief that he can kill Claire, take the Keegan family hostage and escape to – yes that’s right – a non-extradition country.

Even if Joey Venza is successful at this point, he has actually achieved absolutely nothing whatsoever. All he will actually have done is to commit another murder (Claire Gregory) to cover up the first murder (Win Hockings) with the full knowledge of the Keegan family and the assorted police gathered around, so that he can later get to – you’ve guessed it – a non-extradition country.

All of this running around and violence is both unnecessary – and in fact pointless – when he could have simply got up a left when he was on bail - for the pesky and elusive - non-extradition country.

Which of course he should have done in the first place, but like I pointed out ‘movie-land’ and ‘real life’ bear no resemblance to each other in any way.

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