Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Mr-Fusion Star Power aside, there's not much here: two capable leads and a script that fails both of them. The relationship between the two characters killed this for me. James Woods spends most of the movie convincing block-headed Brian Dennehy that the conspiracy is real, and that quarrel gets old fast. There's some intrigue in the third act and a tense(ish) standoff, but also plenty of logical gaps in the story. And that's disappointing.

Scarecrow-88 A veteran cop(Brian Dennehy), who narrowly escaped a hold up shootout in '72, tired and worn down(the loss of his wife to cancer especially draining, not to mention debts because of her long term sickness)after years of undercover work, also a notable best-selling author, is visited by a hit-man(James Woods)who has quite a history he wishes to reveal for a novel as revenge for his dismissal. A powerful corporate businessman had Cleve(Woods) on his payroll removing anyone who stood in his way towards amassing an empire and power.The idea of a cop and criminal joining forces certainly intrigued me which is why I got hooked by the premise. Planted in my mind was how trustworthy could a man such as Cleve be. He's been a hired killer for a considerable amount of time, and, thanks to a supposed falling out with the boss, all of a sudden he wants this cop to write a best seller about their notorious "business relationship". Cleve spends time trying to convince Dennehy' cynical cop, Dennis Meecham, that he's a legitimate killer for Madlock(Paul Shenar)..of course, Dennis has a right to be skeptical. When cigarette burns and a knife wound reveal Cleve as the man who shot him in '72, Dennis decides to punch him in the chops a few times before writing the novel. This will be the chance to stare into the abyss, and pen the memoir of a bonafide assassin.Woods and Dennehy are quite a pair and could make any material worthwhile, and we have a chance to see the complex relationship of two men on opposite sides of the law, no matter how unrealistic such a story might seem. Woods is at times scary and charismatic, and we see his dark side emerge on more than one occasion(such as the scene where he visits Dennis' publisher), particularly when he's at what he does best, killing..and he does so unflinchingly, without batting an eye. As is often the case, Dennis' daughter Holly(Allison Balson) is pulled into the whole mess, her life in possible danger.What's interesting to me is how Cleve so desires for his image to be portrayed differently, not as a cold blooded murder-for-hire, but as a hero. He may just get the chance when Madlock kidnaps Dennis' daughter in order for the novel to be "put out of commission". I think Woods is so electrifying that the movie, even if it has flaws, is worth seeing for him alone. Dennehy is just fine as the honest cop with a true moral code, who often conflicts with Woods' abrasive methods. I dug their friction and eventual, if maybe a bit illogical, friendship. This partnership truly, I think, adds a compelling ingredient to BEST SELLER because of the unusual alliance of such totally different people, with completely opposite ideals. Truly bizarre is the scene where Dennis meets Cleve's family. It ends as expected, with Madlock offering to return Holly in exchange for his name not being muddied by a scandalous book, with Cleve bound and determined to kill his former employer once and for all. As I had mentioned before, when Cleve confronts Dennis' publisher, we see two sides to him, how convincing he can be in order to make an impression, and his passion in the way he's viewed in the novel(he was initially in the house to secure Dennis' manuscript, but decides to leave the publisher with a little reminder of why he's the best at his job, the teary-eyed mascara and torn dresses from her closet are more than enough for lasting impact as to his seriousness regarding how the novel relates him to the readers).

gridsleep This is like an old time cop movie, very well served. If this had been made in the 1940s, I could see it starring Humphrey Bogart as the cynical cop and Alan Ladd as the hit man trying to justify his life, with Adolph Menjou as the corrupt businessman. Minus the brief nudity, of course. That's about the only major change between movies then and now, at least movies of this ilk. It's a little corny, but it's tightly woven and well played. The story is standard, so it's the characters that have to carry it. Woods and Dennehy bring really rounded, deep characters to a shallow little cops and robbers story. I started to dislike Dennis for his disliking Cleve, then, when Cleve shows his true face, I disliked Cleve. Then, Cleve shows he is really capable of acts of kindness. And Dennis is capable of understanding and forgiveness. In the end, the bad guys get what's coming to them and the hero is revealed. What more could you want from a good old fashioned film noir, even with all that California sunshine and pastel wallpaper? The only thing that might have made this better is if it had been filmed in black and white.

merklekranz Both James Woods and Brian Dennehy seem uncomfortable with a script that appears to be underdeveloped. There are way too many unanswered questions relating to who knew how to show up at just the right time at just the right location. The fact that Dennehy goes flying all over the country. leaving his sixteen year old daughter alone, is a real stretch. And speaking of the daughter, played by Allison Balson,her performance can only be described as unbelievable, and not in a good way either. Victoria Tennent's relationship with Dennehy is another loose end that is really never explored. "Best Seller" is nothing more than a very contrived script, with two good actors mostly wasted. - MERK