Cusack plays con artist Roy Dillon in this classic film noir adapted from the Jim Thompson novel. Cusack is right on target playing his grifter with attention to the complex emotional spectrum and serving it up in an understated nuance that is not always forthcoming in his work. It's refreshing, as he often is.

The complicated relationships and struggle for balance between the three main characters is showcased effectively. Lily (Angelica Huston) is the estranged mother who shows up to bail Cusack out of the results of a con job gone awry. She immediately dislikes Roy's girlfriend Myra (Annette Benning). This is an example of director Stephen Frears best work, if not the best project he's ever been involved in.