Possibly my favorite Altman film - filled with equal parts Noir homage, parody and the director with his best sardonic witticisms. Elliott Gould is a Philip Marlowe, but circa 1970, and he does a perfect job injecting Raymond Chandler's pulp private-eye hero (or anti-hero) by a perverse form of subversion as he floats through the new sexually open environment of viciously unbalanced criminal leaders, coquettish neighbors and a writer, played by Sterling Hayden, who appears the most comfortable in Marlowe's unbalanced time lines. The action starts as Marlowe’s buddy’s wife is dead, and he is viewed as a remote accomplice by the authorities. With code of honor in full force he sets out to prove his pal innocent.... even if he is deceased. With deadpan absurdities but full faith to respecting the noir roots, Altman creates a stunning catalyst of the sublime elements into a powerhouse of fun, suspense, intrigue and darn true machismo values. The "Hooray For Hollywood” played over the opening and closing titles is no mistake. Bravo!.  out of  

Gary W. Tooze