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. By the end of it, his Navy uniform will be very dirty. Hackman, possibly Hollywood's most consistent performer, does what he can.