New York Times
"...Deepily, scarily rewarding....[Mr. Nicholson is] magnificently understated....[The film] reveals Mr.Penn to be a great director of actors with a mind-reading ability to discover a character's truth in the tiniest dramatic nuances..." 01/19/2001 pp.E1-E33USA Today
"...The movie wouldn't be imaginable without its commanding star. Nicholson is in virtually every scene underplaying to great effect..."-- 3 out of 4 stars 01/19/2001 p.6E Variety
"...Absorbing dramatically....Nicholson is outstanding....Everything is kept on a tight leash, and very effectively so..." 01/08/2001 p.37-8 Entertainment Weekly
"...[A] haunting and ravaged performance by Jack Nicholson....Penn is a true talent...He's got a real flair -- for visual suspense, for landscape, [and] for holding his actors in the throes of slow-motion breakdown... 01/26/2001 p.75 Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...Rourke makes a vivid impression....Nicholson's subdued, haunted performance is one of his best, and Robin Wright Penn is surprisingly good..." 03/01/2001 p.34-7 Los Angeles Times
"...[Penn] demonstrates a directorial focus and intensity, plus the ability to create mood and ambience while getting a message across..." 01/19/2001 p.F8 Sight and Sound
"...A consummate work of screen adaptation, and further evidence that there is precious little Sean Penn can't achieve on film, whether before or behind the lens..." 10/01/2001 p.36-56 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Nicholson creates a character we follow into the darkness of his compulsion....He is able at one level to exude charm and stability..." 01/19/2001 p.29 USA TODAY 0 of 10
A brilliant psychological thriller! The direction and performances are spectacular! - Larry King
San Francisco Chronicle 8 of 10
Moviegoers who don't mind wrapping their minds around ambiguity will get a buzz... [the movie] is dark and disturbing but thoroughly involving. It sets off depth charges of the psyche. - Bob Graham
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
...begins as a police story and spirals down into madness. It provides Jack Nicholson with one of his best roles in recent years... [Penn] is fascinated by characters under stress. He is bored by the working out of obvious psychological processes. - Roger Ebert
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