narrative in movie can be tricky . sometimes theyre practically a requirement and especially if the plot be convolute or the prose style ornate and a in raymond chandler work . how could we survive without philip marlowe voice over tell u that her hair be the color of gold in old painting . just as often and narration be a crutch and a they be here and tell u thing that an old master like hitchcock would have use imagination and skill to tell u visually . not only be this narrative sometimes pointless but it vary in tone and a if coming from different character instead of just cuba gooding jr. fugitive lawyer . there an old say represent money talk . the only thing it ever say to me be good bye . not bad . ( echo of philip marlowe there . ) but then again it sound sometimes pompous . quite simply and the book be perfect . no kidding . what happen in this murder mystery and quite simply put and be that cuba gooding jr. be a disbarred lawyer who be frame for multiple killing of other lawyer . he pretty bitter about his disbarment and after all . and he be guilty of something . he come into possession of a smash murder novel write by a recent acquaintance and a wheezing old man with no family . when he tell that the old fellow have die of a heart attack and gooding quite simply appropriate the manuscript and copy it and add his name a author and and destroy the original . that know a plagiarism . the novel turn out to be an exact description of five genuine murder and right down to detail that only the police and the killer himself could have know . the pursuit be on . well and gooding narrative may sometimes become a little precious but at bottom he pretty dumb and even for an attorney . the decrepit old man and who look suspiciously make up from the beginning and call himself christopher marlowe . gooding doesn not even blink and and i suppose there be people name christopher marlowe wander innocently around and even if they aren not shakespeare contemporary . but when a lone detective tell him about the dilapidated dude death and call himself goethe and maybe a red flag should have go up . the location shooting and around new orleans and be nice but judge from this film it inhabit largely by people who can not act well . tom berenger have a relatively small role a a real detective and do as well a he can with it . eric stoltz and never a human dynamo and probably give the best performance in the movie a a decadent southern aristocrat . gooding himself and who be fine in jerry mcguire be an embarrassment here . his most notable achievement be sprint down a new orleans street with two cop car in pursuit . no one else distinguish himself or herself and though marianne jean baptiste carry her weight a a friendly and principled lawyer and and mark pellegrino be creepy enough to pass a a professor and never mind a serial killer . he have a face that resonate with crispin glover and for what it worth and and it probably worth a lot to an informed movie freak . the direction and quite simply and can be describe a pedestrian . we see a scene of passion on the staircase . a man sweep a half naked woman up in his arm and carry her up to her room . how many time have you see a dissolve into the camera follow a trail of discarded garment slowly up to the woman bed . don not fib and now . but and actually and there a surprise at the end of this shot because there be nobody in the bed . a cut give u a distant shot of the standard movie kind of human couple represent theyre both naked and he have her pin against the wall and and her leg be around his hip . i be not sure anyone really do something as uncomfortable a that but it become a movie convention and like the thumb up or thumb down gesture in roman amphitheater and which the roman never do . well and why go on . the sad thing be that it kind of a neat idea frame a despised lawyer this way and even if you do drag in faust . simply put and though and it too bad it wasn not well do .