Goodbye Lover (1998)

(In theaters, June 1999) This belongs to the “twists and turns” school of black comedy, where the plot and the reversals are far more important than any of the other aspects save, perhaps, for the dark cinematography and intense direction. The genre does have built-in limits, which is where this movie flounders. At least two huge plot holes can be uncovered without effort, and the crucial test of your enjoyment is based of whether you’ll be able to ignore these flaws or not. Otherwise, Goodbye Lover includes the requisite kinky sex, well-paced deaths, cynical law representatives (Ellen Degeneres, in a good role), adulterous characters, psycho killers and sarcastic one-liners. The direction starts out great, then becomes ordinary. Not a first choice for a rental, but a good film to catch on late-night TV.