The problem with this movies is not that in tried to be a "Chinatown" clone or that it tried to spray the viewer with a lot of left-right political mumbo jumbo, but that it didn't know where it was going. Was it to be a political spoof mixed with satire or a serious political murder intrigue mystery? It actually worked best when it went in the direction of a political thriller. The two most effective scenes are the opening with the body in the water and the one in the morgue when the coroner is explaining some of the evidence concerning how the body got into the water in the first place. The campaign ads that flashed across the screen from time to time were not humorous but merely distracting.
So much has been said about this film by IMDb critics that I only have one other observation. I thought the usually lackluster Daryl Hannah stole the show from the other veteran Thespians with her portrayal of burned-out Maddy Pilager who just happened to be an expert archer. Mary Kay Place, an exceptional actress was virtually wasted in a small poorly written role. The rest of the cast was great as has been noted by others. Especially noteworthy were Kris Kristofferson, a much better actor and songwriter than he is a singer, the under-appreciated Chris Cooper, Ralph Waite, who never gives a poor performance, and Richard Dreyfuss, whose part was also underwritten.
So much has been said about this film by IMDb critics that I only have one other observation. I thought the usually lackluster Daryl Hannah stole the show from the other veteran Thespians with her portrayal of burned-out Maddy Pilager who just happened to be an expert archer. Mary Kay Place, an exceptional actress was virtually wasted in a small poorly written role. The rest of the cast was great as has been noted by others. Especially noteworthy were Kris Kristofferson, a much better actor and songwriter than he is a singer, the under-appreciated Chris Cooper, Ralph Waite, who never gives a poor performance, and Richard Dreyfuss, whose part was also underwritten.