Fred Ward plays the lead here, an alcoholic journalist with dark secrets, but he has a good relationship with his boss, Virginia Madsen, who was always a favourite of mine and who lives up to her reputation here. She tells him straight in a quarrel that she hopes he doesn't have any dark secrets, but she should only know. She trusts him anyway, he provides good stories, and that's all she wants from him. Two colleagues out of his dark past turn up and ask him to give shelter for a few days to a dark Peruvian lady in trouble, who is wanted by the FBI. He has been assigned to follow up a murder (which introduces the film), and it appears she is involved in that mess. He refuses to shelter her at first, but as she convinces him she has no secrets, they become allies, and the thriller begins. Although slightly muddled, the fast change of scenes is sometimes confusing, but the story is interesting and the drama is great. Christopher Plummer plays the FBI chief in charge of the case, while Rachel Ticotin is the lady in distress - they all act superbly. The climax keeps your teeth clenched, there are several nervy escapes, but it is well worth following to the end, which leaves some question marks still unanswered.
