Eureka

Director: Nicolas Roeg
Year Released: 1983
Rating: 2.0

Typical Roegian jumble about gold - Is money the root of all evil? Or are people evil? - and sex (Gene Hackman fights with Rutger Hauer over his 'daughter' Theresa Russell's loyalty) that won't end until the murder the movie builds up to is resolved in a half-hour long court case. Doesn't play out in an orderly fashion - Roeg hides the thinness of the story under contradictions and symbolic play, bestowing objects like chains and odd rocks with special significance - and the performances are all over the place (Russell's courtroom howling must be intentional); despite the length, it isn't hard to watch, but like all of the director's films, you're either in love or just irritated.