My marriage has gone on for twenty-three years—longer than my spouse’s been alive! 52 Pick-Up is directed by John Frankenheimer and written by Elmore Leonard (adapting his own novel) and John Steppling. The film features Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, John Glover, Vanity, Clarence Williams III, Robert Trebor and Kelly Preston. Gary Chang composed the music; Jost Vacano and Stephen Ramsey were responsible for cinematography. Harry Mitchell (Scheider), a successful businessman, is blackmailed by three pornographers who possess video evidence of his affair. With his wife on the verge of launching her political career, Harry’s reputation is the last thing she needs. However, as things escalate, he decides to employ unusual tactics to confront those holding him hostage. This neo-noir film is quite good and certainly deserves more recognition within that genre. Leonard's involvement in the writing process ensures the story stays true to his original material, although the setting has been changed from Detroit to Los Angeles. The central theme revolves around Mitchell’s exposure due to his indiscretions and the repercussions for those connected to him—often with devastating outcomes. Mitchell is forced into a disreputable world of pornography, cheap bars, strip clubs, and snuff films, needing to reach the level of his blackmailers so he can carry out his plans effectively. The three blackmailers portrayed by Glover, Williams, and Trebor are slimy, threatening, and neurotic—an unusual group set against Frankenheimer’s sleazy and impersonal world. While it may not represent Frankenheimer at his best, the director demonstrates a strong understanding of noir conventions, both in eliciting performances from his cast and through his visual style. Characters frequently smoke or drink alcohol, sweat, or appear distressed while the camera focuses closely on them; even a brief sequence with shadow play and another using angled shards are included. Certain plot devices feel somewhat forced, and it lacks intensity despite its action sequences. Although the ending is telegraphed, it remains satisfying. Decadence, sleaze, greed, paranoia, and moral decline converge to form this sadly overlooked film from the 1980s. It’s a story of revenge involving wealthy people where there are no heroes—just sinners and victims. 7.5/10

Source on TMDB