Bonkers psychological murder mystery; writing debut for future A-lister Billy Ray, final credit for frustrated director Richard Rush, his first since STUNT MAN fourteen years back. Bruce Willis stars, playfully confused as a Manhattan shrink-in-crisis, escaping to L.A. after a patient suicides, then quickly taking over a group session when a California colleague is mysteriously stabbed to death. Moving into the dead man’s house, Bruce is soon trying to find out if someone in the group is responsible for the murder. Or is between steamy bouts of ‘80s-style soft-core sex with toothy, young, babalicious Jane March, tangentially involved in just about every aspect & suspect in the case. March, in only her second film, seriously over-parted, short-changing the big third-act reveal. But it hardly matters as Rush never establishes a tone for the strikingly strong cast to work in, though Brad Dourif’s patient and Reubén Blades’ police dick find a nice mocking spirit on their own. Dumb & illogical as it is, the film is often off-the-wall fun, especially once Rush pulls back on excess displays of style. With two reels added to the release print, his 2'20" Director’s Cut is apparently somewhat easier to follow even if things never do add up.
DOUBLE-BILL: With a C.V. of puerile stinkers (THE SAVAGE SEVEN/’68; GETTING STRAIGHT/’70), Rush’s claim to fame boils down to THE STUNT MAN/’80. Why this one film is so good, so fresh, witty & exciting is a far bigger mystery than anything going on here.
ATTTENTION MUST BE PAID: The color of the title refers to Willis’s color-blindness to RED. Yet, it hardly registers as a plot device in spite of some bright RED lipstick and a RED sports car.
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