The film makes such good use of Washington and builds suspense so well that it transcends a plot bordering on ridiculous. The Pentagon is the arena. Kevin Costner, in his best performance so far, plays Lt. Cdr. But he gets caught up in a double-edged mission that threatens everything. The Watergate-type conspiracy you're conditioned to expect never quite happens.
Garland adds a political kicker to the story, as if to compensate, but it's a narrative fifth wheel.
Complications beget complications. People stand to lose something all the time. And just about everyone's got a dark side. What follows is shadowy intrigue. Farrell will be torn between love, duty and survival.