Nicholson may sound like his nose is somewhat blocked, but he gives a fine - though broad - performance as a bungling horse thief saved from the gallows by Mary Steenburgen, who thinks there's gold on her land.
The ending perhaps should have been that she double-crossed him and got away with it - there's a suggestion that when the old gang come to visit, she takes to drink immediately despite having claimed to have never, she starts saying 'shit' - in other words not the good girl she's made out to be. Difficult to say - it's one of those ampersandy screen play credits - John Herman Shaner & Al Ramrus and Charles Shyer & Alan Mandel. Anyway the ending is fine and the main thrust of the story - that they fall for one another and she softens his rough edges - is good.
Also the fact that oil's there should have been exploited further?
Nicholson's direction is fine and whilst Nestor Almendros laudably shoots it in low light there's some problem with his focus puller, resulting in some noticeable out-of-focus shots. Editors Richard Chew and John Fitzgerald Beck often favour Steenburgen in the edit, quite rightly: she gives a lovely performance (it was her debut). With Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Veronica Cartwright, Richard Bradford, Jed Morris, Danny DeVito. For Paramount.
Even at the time there was speculation about excessive cocaine use amongst cast and crew on location in Mexico, and the film was a flop, but I thought it held up pretty well.
Next time - consult 'Masters of Light' Schaefer & Salvato, for some interesting stuff from Nestor Almendros about the filming.
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