Terrific

Rating: Null/10 (21 March 2002)

An absolute nail-biter of a film, I am so taken that I cannot go into deep, objective analysis. It has great performances all around, great direction, very mature and intellgent screenplay(is it a wonder it flopped?). The ending is not a surprise(as if it matters,as Raymond Chandler once said about mysteries " the really good ones will keep you going even if you knew the last chapter had been torn out", or spoiled in this case), but Mann and company manage to enthrall you anyway, creating an atmosphere so tense you feel as though anything could happen to the characters at any time. The cinematagraphy is excellent, very cool, very artistic. Plus, if you think Russell Crowe is just a hotheaded frat boy with all looks and zero talent, see his turn as Dr.Jeffrey Wigand here. It'll turn you around, it sure did me. Bravo!