Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Walter Sloane Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

dcnilsen film is aptly named because once in a while you come across a film which provides an occasional hell to have to watch...actually this one would be highly recommended for viewing by an arborist- wooden plot, wooden script, wooden acting, etc, etc, etc....I like tom berenger, but this is the equivalent of painting by numbers on steroids...and not even the nude scenes can help this turkey, but I can highly recommend it if you want to have a nice nap mid-movie, then wake up not feeling as though you missed anything...berenger's imaginary visits by the female missing from the crime scene are particularly annoying and ridiculous and add absolutely nothing to the plot...all in all such drivel that I was compelled to stop watching a little over halfway through, which after reading the reviews, turned out to be a wise move...the people advocating this disaster as a triumph are in need of god knows what, but taste comes forefront to my mind

Woodyanders Tom Berenger gives a typically excellent and engaging performance as Ernest DeWalt, a retiring, laid-back and amiable former cop turned crime novelist and college professor who's asked by the fiery, enticing Elizabeth Laughton (well played by the lovely Valeria Golino) to investigate the murder of her unfaithful husband Alex (a fine Stephen Lang) and the disappearance of his sultry tramp mistress Jeri Gillen (a smoking hot Kari Wuhrer). Both DeWalt's attraction to Elizabeth and his precarious health complicate things to a substantial degree. Director Salome Brezinger, working from an absorbing script by Randall Silvis, wrings plenty of tension from the gripping story and adroitly creates a pungent, vivid and sweltering downhome Southern atmosphere. A top-notch supporting cast qualifies as another major asset: Robert Davi as a compassionate detective, Richard Edson as a sleazy whitetrash druggie, Geoffrey Lewis as a bumbling oaf, and Ellen Greene as a sassy diner waitress. As an added bonus, both Wuhrer and Golino take their clothes off. Anton Sanko's flavorsome, harmonic country score and Mauro Fiore's bright, pretty cinematography further enhance the overall sound quality of this nifty little winner.

Bjorn (ODDBear) Tom Berenger portrays a college professor who returns to his former line of duty as a detective when Valeria Golino hires him to investigate her husband's death. Berenger's character suffers from old wounds which inhibit his abilities and also induce some weird hallucinations. So so mystery-thriller benefits heavily from Tom Berenger's outstanding performance as the tragic lead character. Too bad the script and bland direction couldn't do better, this is standard mediocre fare all the way. Robert Davi does a good supporting job, as does Valeria Golino. They all deserve better.

alitosca From the first frame, this film glues you to the screen, with a gripping plot that is full of potential. As we learn more about the victim's wife and the university professor she employs in the role of reluctant detective, we are determined to delve further into the minds of this mysterious woman and the laconic southern gentleman, who is forced to confront his own past demons.Regrettably, this strong foundation is undermined by the failure of the film to shine any light on the personalities of the victim or his abducted companion - elements that are essential to understanding the fate which overtakes them. And sadly the denouement is glaringly obvious - a limp ending to what should have been a superb thriller.