A detective attempts to uncover the identity of a woman with amnesia, and discovers they both have a connection to a famous murder case from 40 years earlier.
Actor Kenneth Branagh had a successful career on the British stage before his debut as a filmmaker Henry V scored with critics and at the box office. Like Laurence Olivier in the mid 1940s, Branagh was credited with a resurgence in international interest in the works of William Shakespeare by breathing new life into both his stage and screen adaptations and portrayals.
For his follow-up film, Branagh seized his newfound Hollywood clout to make something which would have appeared outside his wheelhouse: a Los Angeles-set neo-noir thriller. To increase the challenge, Branagh plays the lead character with an American accent.
Also starring in the film are Branagh's then-wife and frequent collaborator Emma Thompson, Andy Garcia, British veteran Dereck Jacobi, German actress Hanna Schygulla, and an uncredited Robin William in an atypical role.
Branagh pays tribute to directors Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles with complicated camera setups, exaggerated angles and scene construction, and also continued to experiment with longer, unbroken takes to let his talented actors carry certain scenes.
Because the film takes place in two different time periods with Branagh and Thompson playing dual roles, the decision was made in the editing process to print the 1940s scenes in black & while, alleviating potential audience confusion.
The film received mostly positive reviews, and was a surprise hit at the box office, holding the #1 spot for several weeks and going on to more than double its production cost.
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