Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger) and his wife Judith (Greta Scacchi) are involved in a car wreck that leaves Judith with only a scratch but Dan in critical condition that involves restructuring his face to look as much as possible like the old face. Dan has one other serious problem, the shock has left him with amnesia. He tries to put his life back together with the help of his wife but nothing seems real. In trying to piece together his former existence, he tracks down all types of hunches and leads that take him nowhere. Then one day he comes across a strange bill for $7,000 from a pet shop. When he investigates further he discovers that the pet shop owner, Gus Klein (Bob Hoskins), moonlights as a private eye. Gus tells him all kinds of strange happenings including a story about his wife's lover. He also learns that his business partner's wife Jenny Scott (Joanne Whalley) is much closer to him than he wants her to be. As Gus and Dan search for clues, they find more than either one bargained for. The ending is a grabber. The viewer won't be disappointed.
Director Wolfgang Petersen of "Das Boot" fame directs with a flair for action and suspense. There is a wild car chase toward the end of the movie that really delivers the goods. Though Petersen's film (which he wrote based on a novel) may not exactly be film noir, it shares several elements in common with that genre including two femme fatales. There is also symbolic use of natural forces such as the pounding of the waves against the shore to enhance portions of the script, which may or may not have been inspired by the 1942 film noir picture "Street of Chance."
All the acting is above average, but the standout performance is by Bob Hoskins as the PI who loves animals. There are also bits of humor from a pet shop employee, Sadie (Jedda Jones), over the phone when called asking for Gus.
