Hairdresser Nadine Hightower wants to retrieve the risqué photos she once posed for, but when she visits the photographer at his office, he's murdered by an intruder. Nadine talks her estranged husband, Vernon, into going along when she returns to the office, where they stumble across plans for a less than legal construction project. But when Vernon tries to turn the documents into a cash windfall, he and Nadine are pursued by goons with guns.
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This film centers on an about-to-be divorced couple (Basinger and Bridges) in the Austin of 1954, who get thrown back together when Basinger accidentally comes into possession of the state's secret plans for a new highway. Bridges steals the plans from her and figures on using the information to get rich, until the arch-hustler criminal Torn gets other ideas. It's a classic mix of romantic comedy and caper movie, with a pair of thugs working for Torn who might be straight out of Home Alone. It's not as if the plot is all that thrilling, and in truth if it had been shot in black and white and were 50 years older, it wouldn't stand out from some of Jimmy Cagney's potboilers from the 30's. But the three main actors are all terrific (especially Basinger), and we even get a brief cameo appearance by George Costanza's father (Jerry Stiller), who winds up in a way that George Costanza might have dreamed about. Recommended.
It's Austin, Texas, 1954, and Jeff Bridges's biggest ambition is a gaudy neon to top-off his tacky, no-business, beer bar, while estranged wife and apprentice hairdresser Kim Basinger sends her "art photos" to Playboy magazine. Obviously they're made for each other. Meanwhile, her sleazo photographer turns up dead and they're on the run. It's delightful madcap as they bumble their way through a series of misadventures. Their subtly affectionate sniping reminds me of a bad grammar version of Nick and Nora Charles in the uptown Thin Man series. Surprisingly, the California born Bridges has the "good ol' boy" drawl down pat, while even the usually snooty Basinger manages a convincing honky-tonk queen. Good period detail without the distractive sounds of Golden Oldies. -- With a delightfully arch Rip Torn as the slyly superior villain. It's amazing how these little gems keep getting produced with little or no recognition. All in all, great escapist fare for a slow evening at home.
Kim Basinger, Jeff Bridges, and Rip Torn lift "Nadine" above the material provided. The script is transparent and without strong performances, "Nadine" would be long forgotten. This is partially due to the uneasy mix of drama and comedy. It is mostly slapstick, with smatterings of some very dark comedy. There is violence including, rattlesnakes on the loose. A flawless 50s atmosphere adds tremendously to the overall viewing enjoyment. In the end everything is tied together quite nicely, perhaps too nicely. A good movie for mixed company, but do not expect anything more than likable characters mired in an average story. - MERK
This energetic comedy is entertaining the moment the title appears on the screen. Set in a rural town a beautician witnesses a murder and then is expected of doing the killing. Now she must run from the killers and the cops. This movie is an instant classic. 10/10
