In 1972, journalist Karen O’Connor (Alison Lohman) is hired by aging entertainer Vince Collins (Colin Firth) to write his autobiography… but her real aim is to find out why a young woman died in the company of Collins and his longtime showbiz partner (Kevin Bacon). An erotic thriller that jumps back and forth between 1972 and 1957, the time of the murder. The story explores Firth and Bacon’s relationship as much as the crime; they’re fine, but Lohman is much weaker and the film sluggish.
2005-Canada-Britain. 117 min. Color. Widescreen. Written and directed by Atom Egoyan. Novel: Rupert Holmes. Cast: Kevin Bacon (Lanny Morris), Colin Firth (Vince Collins), Alison Lohman (Karen O’Connor), Rachel Blanchard, David Hayman, Maury Chaykin.
Trivia: The film received an NC-17 rating in the U.S., which Egoyan and Bacon blamed on ”homophobia” because of a plot twist in the film. Firth and Bacon’s characters were allegedly inspired by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.