Product Details

• Actors: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, Gina Gershon, Rolf Hoppe, Michael Rapaport
• Directors: Volker Schlöndorff
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• VHS Release Date: January 12, 1999
• Run Time: 113 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0780622774
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,136 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #44 in	Video > Art House & International > By Genre > Mystery & Suspense
  #48 in	Video > Mystery & Suspense > Neo-Noir
  #52 in	Video > Mystery & Suspense > Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem > Kidnapping & Missing Persons

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With a foreigner's revitalizing influence, German director Volker Schlondorff turns this standard potboiler (based on the novel Just Another Sucker by British pulp writer James Hadley Chase) into a beguiling exercise in genre classicism. Woody Harrelson stars as a former journalist, just released from serving two years on a trumped-up charge, who is drawn into a troublesome mock-extortion scheme by the scheming wife (Elisabeth Shue) of a dying Florida millionaire. The movie's got style to spare and plenty of humid Florida atmosphere, but it's built on a series of improbable developments and is too low-key to generate riveting momentum. But Schlondorff occupies this tawdry territory with a keen sense of necessary mood and pace, maintaining adequate internal logic and awareness of the story's vintage roots. Subplots involving Shue's stepdaughter (Chloë Sevigny) and Harrelson's girlfriend (Gina Gershon) provide enjoyable distractions from the story's implausibilities. The movie's better suited to the fertile pulp mills of cable TV. But with an absurdly twisting plot to hold your interest, it's fun to watch how Schlondorff builds a bridge between traditional film noir and a more contemporary approach to sultry intrigue. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A film noir that completely baffles the viewer, September 19, 1999

By	Michael Bock (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Woody (a brother of mine from Sigma Chi) seemingly unerwhelms the audience along with all the other actors in this feature. Those who like Film noir along the lines of Bogart's movies, or even more contemporary features like L.A. Confidential, Wild Things, and others, will enjoy this. I couldn't help but be more and more impressed upon repeat viewings by the low-key or deliberately understated performances by the Woody, Elisabeth Shue, Gina Gershon, and others. Don't go into this looking to be dazzled, it is a cerebral and intelligent dark drama.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How could you not like this movie, January 31, 2002

By	Umberto Guiermo (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palmetto (DVD)

This is one of the most fun movies I have ever seen. It has everything I need. Heat, murder, comedy, and there is an element of fantasy that makes me want to see this movie when I want to escape. Buy It!!!

Make more movies like this one Hollywood. And make more in Florida. It's just better that California.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant. How about a Special Edition?, June 12, 2000

By	Barry (Kalamazoo, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palmetto (DVD)

I own this masterful thriller and absolutely covet it. Probably my all time favorite thriller/film noir. A perfect example of steamy, teasing, dark femme fatale film noir classic. Excellent script, direction and acting. Some people who say the film is "too over-the-top" are missing the point and don't realize it's that way on purpose. That's the whole film noir/femme fatale genre, folks. Roll with it. Get caught up in the fake kidnapping scheme and the surprise twists and it's a roller coaster ride! I love it and will always love it. One question: WHEN is the Special Edition gonna come out, with Director's and Actors' Commentary, Behind-The-Scenes (I BEG YOU) and many other features? A film this great deserves a Special Edition DVD. People at Castle Rock: PLEASE issue another DVD version.