Clint Eastwood, starred, produced and directed this film. Ace screenwriter William Goldman wrote the screenplay. Eastwood put together an excellent cast, Laura Linney, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Judy Davis, Scott Glenn and in his final role E.G. Marshall. The production design and the photography are at a high standard. The end result is one of the most ridiculous films ever made.
While breaking into an upscale mansion in Washington D.C., master thief Luther Whitney played by Clint Eastwood, just happens to stumble into the love nest of the President of the United States played by Gene Hackman. Apparently the President likes his sex rough, he beats the crap out of the woman. In order to defend herself the woman pulls out a letter opener which she stabs the President in the arm with. This brings in a couple of secret service agents who end up killing her. Next the President's chief of staff who apparently accompanies him on his little sex binges, decides to cover up the murder.
And this is just beginning of a ridiculously convoluted plot which involves master thief Whitney getting a conscience and deciding to bring the President to justice. At the same time Whitney must protect his estranged daughter played by Laura Linney who just happens to be a prosecuting attorney and also avoid being arrested by a police detective played by Ed Harris. and the plot even gets more zany.
This film was based on a popular novel and Columbia Pictures supposedly payed millions of dollars for the movie rights so you can't actually blame Eastwood for turning this novel into a film. Fault a studio that doesn't know a ridiculous story when it's dropped on top of them like a ton of bricks. This is one of the most convoluted thrillers I can ever recall seeing and I sat through Funeral in Berlin and The Kremlin Letter. Another classic example of wasting a good cast and talented Hollywood production people.
The running time is 121 minutes and I can't believe anyone who watched this wanted it to be a second longer.
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