in manhattan and detective frank keller ( al pacino ) be an efficient and veteran cop with twenty year on the force and who be lonely and miss his ex wife denise . she leave him to live with his colleague from the same precinct gruber ( richard jenkins ) . when a killer kill his victim with a shot on the neck and leave a single playing sea of love and frank be in charge of the investigation . detective sherman and from a district outside manhattan and join frank when a second victim be kill in the same mo . they find that both victim have write poetry in the lonely heart column of the single magazine new york weekly . when there be a third case and frank convinces his chief to write for the magazine and work undercover investigate the woman that reply the advertisement . frank fall in love for the prime suspect and the manager of a shoe store helen cruger ( ellen barkin ) and jeopardize his investigation . sea of love be one of the best and most underrated thriller ever . i do not know how many time i have see this movie since the release in the movie theater and then on vhs and now on dvd . the classy story be a film noir perfectly develop and and show one of the most erotic love scene of the cinema history . al pacino be simply perfect and show a perfect chemistry with the sexy ellen barkin and who be in the top of her career and and also with john goodman . the soundtrack be also one of the most beautiful of the cinema and and the cd with eleven song be fantastic . samuel l jackson and in the beginning of career and play a criminal in the story with a minor participation . my vote be nine . title ( brazil ) represent vítimas de uma paixão ( victim of a passion ) .