Burnt-out alcoholic romantic Russian homicide detective A. M. Valnikov (a wonderful and engaging performance by Robert Foxworth) gets transferred to robbery and partnered with hard-nosed cynic and divorcee Natalie Zimmerman (superbly played with delicious tartness by Paula Prentiss). The pair fall in love while investigating a dognapping case involving desperate dog groomer Philo Skinner (the always terrific Harry Dean Stanton) and financially strapped rich lady Madeline Whitfield (a spot-on sultry portrayal by Barbara Babcock).
Director Harold Becker relates the enjoyably idiosyncratic story at a leisurely pace while also offering a tasty blend of quirky humor and stark drama. Joseph Wambaugh's witty and perceptive script not only astutely captures the raw desperation of broken-down people trying to eke out a meager existence on life's fringes, but also nails how the thankless job of being a police detective can drive someone to a near breaking point.
This film further benefits from a rich rogue's gallery of colorful and/or seedy secondary characters: John Hancock as no-nonsense sergeant Clarence Cromwell, Judy Landers as Skinner's sweet bimbo assistant Pattie Mae, Anne Ramsey as irate hotel owner Bessie Callahan, Pat Corley as antsy used car salesman Itchy Mitch, Cristopher Lloyd as a sinister collector, and James Woods as a fiddler in the park. The central romance between Valnikov and Zimmerman proves to be both charming and moving in equal measure. A real sleeper.
Director Harold Becker relates the enjoyably idiosyncratic story at a leisurely pace while also offering a tasty blend of quirky humor and stark drama. Joseph Wambaugh's witty and perceptive script not only astutely captures the raw desperation of broken-down people trying to eke out a meager existence on life's fringes, but also nails how the thankless job of being a police detective can drive someone to a near breaking point.
This film further benefits from a rich rogue's gallery of colorful and/or seedy secondary characters: John Hancock as no-nonsense sergeant Clarence Cromwell, Judy Landers as Skinner's sweet bimbo assistant Pattie Mae, Anne Ramsey as irate hotel owner Bessie Callahan, Pat Corley as antsy used car salesman Itchy Mitch, Cristopher Lloyd as a sinister collector, and James Woods as a fiddler in the park. The central romance between Valnikov and Zimmerman proves to be both charming and moving in equal measure. A real sleeper.