Good start, but then it gets ruined

Don't Believe the Hype

Charming and brutal

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

In 1990, Nick Nolte made two films about large-scale corruption, in the police ("Q & A") and in public offices in general ("Everybody Wins"). One difference is that in the former he is the villain, in the latter he is the hero. Another difference is that in "Everybody Wins" the subject gets a decidedly uncommercial treatment. This movie has its own rhythm, its own personality, and you have to sink in to it. It's more of a subtle satire than the thriller suggested by the video cover / plot description / trailer. And it has a couple of great lines, too: "He's just a second-rate man in a position of power. It's the oldest story in the world!". At times the film is TOO slow and low-key, but I still recommend it to those seeking the offbeat. (**1/2)

Watch paint dry or grass grow - this movie's awful.The opening scene sets the viewers' expectations that this might be a comedy. Leon Redbone's singing isn't for me but the selection of songs is at best a mystery - they don't fit in with the movie at all.Debra Winger's character is just that. And Nick Nolte plays a supposedly reputable private investigator who doesn't investigate anything. He says he's in love with the wacky Winger character just after meeting her and that's just the beginning of what is one of the worst flicks I ever sat through.Save yourself and your friends. Go contemplate your navel instead.

I can see why this film was not a success at the box-office. For a thriller, it is far too talky and at times the plot unfolds purely through scenes of conversational exposition. There are no chases, no shootouts, and only the briefest of sex scenes and courtroom sequences. The reason is because the film is concerned solely with character. Even the film's supposed theme, that of corruption infecting everybody (even down to O'Toole's teacher sister), is only half-heartedly dealt with. There has been speculation that the play upon which the screenplay is based was inspired by Arthur Miller's relationship with Marilyn Monroe and this is an interesting consideration. Angela is a frustrating character although not without charm. O'Toole certainly falls for her in a big way and I suspect that might be the reason this got termed a film noir. Sometimes you wonder just how much effort the critics put in. Yes, a cursory scan of the plot would reveal the elements of a noir: private investigator, mysterious seductress, murder, corruption - but watching the film it feels less like a noir and more like one of those small town dramas, like Gene Hackman made in the 1980s, such as TWICE IN A LIFETIME or FULL MOON IN BLUE WATER. And the gang of church-building bikers, led by cinema's favourite fruitcakes Patton and Wilhoite, seems to have wandered in from an entirely different movie. That said a script by Miller will undoubtedly give up some fantastic dialogue, which is definitely the case here. You can tell the guy's pedigree as even some of the throwaway lines are beautifully written.

The Chemistry between Winger and Nolte is very dry. If you need a lot of blood, gun play and explosions then this movie is not for you. It unfolds in a tortured manner which I happen to enjoy. The people of this small town are not flashy or larger than life, They are ordinary and have settled into a predictable pattern. The importance of each character is presented to us in an unpredictable sequence which tends to keep the audience off balance and somewhat unsettled. Most of the interplay is understated- another feature which, in an era of grandiosity, is refreshing. If the viewer has the patience to allow the story to unfold the reward will be well worth the investment of time.