Sometimes when Hollywood tries to do a retro film, it's just too slick and off the mark. The characters are just too perfect and the sets are too pristine. Fortunately, they got it right here. Characters are believable and the story is good. There's a couple of nice twists and the bad guys are really bad. Kevin Spacey does a nice job here; as good as he was in The Usual Suspects. I'd even go as far to say he may have peaked with this film, because a few of his films that followed certainly fell short of expectation. Danny DeVito is cast perfectly as a sleazy gossip monger, and you'll almost like Russell Crowe, too. (Again, before he was huge star and maybe less of a jerk overall). The only criticism I'd make is that Kim Basinger's performance may not have been Oscar-worthy, but then again, you decide.