Alla ricerca dell'assassino

Modern noir, written by Arthur Miller, drowns in pretensions while pretending to be a murder mystery; the only mystery is how this murky, congested screenplay attracted stars Nick Nolte and Debra Winger (both treading water). After a New England doctor is murdered and a young suspect is named, a schizophrenic local woman, who believes the boy is innocent, hires an investigator from out-of-town to ferret out the facts. Winger's performance is like a high-wire act: she's fruity, irrational, always teetering on total collapse. Perhaps with handling that was more restrictive and writing that had more focus, this unbalanced character might have generated audience empathy (or at least made some sense). As it is, she's the wobbly centerpiece of an already-shaky melodrama, one that eventually crumbles around the actors like a house of cards. NO STARS from ****

I rented this movie with my wife via Digital Cable because the teaser sounded interesting and we honestly hadn't heard anything about it. After watching it, I understand why. This movie is pointless and stupid. I knew as soon as it opened that we were in trouble. The scene the opening credits and the music all look like the belong in three different films. I couldn't say enough bad things about this movie.

Oh, my goodness, this was quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. At the end of the film, I found myself asking what the point of the whole thing was, and yet I couldn't come up with an answer. This movie has almost NO plot. The fact that it was filmed in my hometown couldn't even save it. Not that Nolte nor Winger did a bad job, but I definitely would not recommend this film to anyone who may be on the edge of whether to watch it or not... You'll find yourself, at the end, saying "Whatever..."

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.

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)