Hot Spot

A saturnine vision of the universe and an interest in the female form bordering on adoration have been two constants of Dennis Hopper's directorial work. Both are on display in this neo-noir, starring Don Johnson as cagey drifter Harry Madox, who picks up a job from used car lot owner George Harshaw (Jerry Hardin), soon after arriving in a small Texas town. Attracting women is not one of Harry's problems, and he's soon involved with Harshaw's innocent young bookkeeper, Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly), and his tough, sexy wife, Dolly (Virginia Madsen). An ambitious sort, Harry is also planning to rob the local bank. But things begin to get strange when he learns that Gloria is being extorted by nasty backwoodsman Frank Sutton (William Sadler), who also seems to be linked to Dolly. While not quite camp, the film is a triumph of style over substance, as the characters obey the highly improbable laws of the noir universe as religiously as any Kabuki performer does theirs. Working with longtime cinematographer Ueli Steiger, Hopper again reveals a fastidious eye, and the lavish photography of the women evokes an era when they were Hollywood's cynosure.