Good movie, but not what you'd expect from De Palma.

Rating: 7/10 (3 February 2002)

It's a strong story, all right, but I wish somebody else had directed it. With Brian De Palma, director of such virtuoso films as "The Fury", "Dressed To Kill" and "The Untouchables", you're inevitably looking for any detectable traces of his style in any movie he makes, and here you can find very few (a sequence with a grenade used in a murder attempt is an obvious example). His discreet use of the camera during the rape scene, however, is commendable. As for the performances, something seems to be missing from Sean Penn's acting, but Fox is unexpectedly good and the Vietnamese girl is so good that at times you forget it's only a movie. The supporting cast is excellent too, particularly Don Harvey. (**1/2)