Mortal thoughts

Cynthia and Joyce are childhood friends who get involved in the gruesome death of Joyce’s abusive husband in a moment of passion. The two conspire to cover up the crime, which leads to an intricate web of lies and a cycle of accusations and double-crossings. Alan Rudolph plays out this neo-noir drama within a working class milieu, replete with New Jersey accents and drab surrounds. Demi Moore and Glenne Headly are two hairdressers caught between the loyalties that their lifelong friendship demands and the terror of being accused of murder. Headly gives an absorbing performance as Joyce, a woman trapped in an impoverished, miserable state with an overbearing, insensitive, drunkard of a husband. Harvey Keitel plays a hard-boiled detective who unravels the mystery of James’ death by interrogating Cynthia, who reveals the past through a series of extensive flashbacks.