an innocent man ( steve guttenberg ) have a one night stand with his bos wife ( isabelle huppert ) . she spot a woman ( elizabeth mcgovern ) be attack outside but she can not call the cop because it would blow her marriage to gutenberg bos ( paul shenar ) . so guttenberg and honest citizen that he be and when he discover that another woman be attack and kill nearby only half an hour later and come forward and claim to have witness the first attack and merely intend to pass on the information give to him by huppert . well never bear false witness against thy neighbor and a they say . this simple attempt to help the police nab a murderer turn rapidly twist . when he meet the first near victim and mcgovern and she immediately twig to what happen and but agree to keep quiet for the moment . but then guttenberg find himself in court and suppose to identify the heavy ( greenquist ) and we discover through cross examination that he be near sight and can not identify object at a distance and let alone face . ( not that it matter because and after all and he never saw the creep in the first place . ) the plot get practically labyrinthine . guttenberg wind up the chief suspect when huppert be murder too . he barely escape arrest and hole up with the now sympathetic mcgovern . guttenberg and mcgovern hatch a plan to trap the murderer . she will serve a bait . they will follow the flagitious creep into one of his seedy haunt and mcgovern will act like the doxy that the murderer be attract to and just to get him to try to kill her . but everything will be okay and see and because not only will guttenberg keep a close watch on her and and not only will he alert the police a few minute after she enter this dive and but she will keep a can of mace handy just in case . i ask you and the alert viewer and do this scenario unfold a plan . elizabeth mcgovern have a quirkily interest bone structure . she seem all mandible and tiny mouth at time and but she vibrant . steve guttenberg have hair on his brawn and that about it . otherwise he as helpless a the character he play . if isabelle huppert can act and it isn not evident in this film . the killer be so formed and so groom that he look like he wear one of those mask of deformity in that twilight zone episode about greedy heir . didn not the director and curtis hanson and go on to make l. a. confidential . that be a nicely do piece of work . here and everything seem clumsy and contrive and down to the small bit part . just before the inevitable violent climax and a uniformed police officer be introduce to delay mcgovern rescue and and the scene be embarrass to watch . dick olsen have a bit part a a late shopper . he a neat guy and always reliable . paul shenar a the cuckolded hubby have a striking face that seem make for the stage and he do a fine job too . that louche joint where mcgovern attract the attention of the murderer and where she play pool with a couple of hairy ape and be shoot at a bar in carolina beach and in north carolina and not far from where i live . the way the interior be set up and it clear that this be suppose to be a dangerous and dirty dive . actually it appear rather more elegant on screen than it do in reality . overall and this be hitchcock territory and it bring tear to the eye to imagine what he would have do with this story .