China Moon
Ed Harris, Madeline Stowe, and Benicio Del Toro star in this tricky modern noir. Harris plays Kyle Bodine, a police detective with a keen eye for detail and seemingly all the answers. His axiom is that murderers "always screw it up sooner or later," and if you think those words won't come back to haunt him, you don't know your suspense movies. He soon runs into Rachel (Stowe), who is rich, beautiful, and married to an abusive husband. The plot rolls along nicely toward the murder we all know is coming, then gives a few good twists on the way out. Del Toro, not yet famous in this 1991 release, does a terrific more-than-meets-the-eye acting job as Kyle's partner Lamar. This is a fun thriller that hits all the suspense film marks but still manages to keep a few surprises up its sleeve.--Ali Davis