Tyro helmer D.J. Caruso appears compelled to strut his cinematic stuff in every scene, whether called for or not, and in the process overplays his assignment." The New York Times film critic Stephen Holden believes the film to be derivative, and wrote: Slate film critic David Edelstein reviewed the work of actor Val Kilmer favorably, writing: , the film holds a 63% approval rating on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 84 reviews with an average rating of 5.78 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "A slick Tarantino-inspired movie that is not for everyone." References External links 2002 films 2002 crime thriller films Castle Rock Entertainment films American crime thriller films Films about drugs Films directed by D. J. Caruso Films scored by Thomas Newman Films set in Palm Springs, California American neo-noir films Warner Bros. films 2002 directorial debut films Films shot in Los Angeles 2000s English-language films Salton Sea 2000s American films