Nick Nolte has something Jeff Bridges wants in Simpatico

The set-up is intriguing. Jeff Bridges plays Lyle Carter, a wealthy businessman who gets a call from a down-and-out alcoholic named Vinnie (Nick Nolte). The two men seem to share a history, and indeed Vinnie only needs to mention some mysterious items he possesses before Lyle is on a plane to California. We eventually learn that twenty years prior they had been friends who participated in a horse racing scam. The outcome was detrimental to Vinnie and to a racing official (Albert Finney). Tired of being down on his luck, Vinnie plans to blackmail Lyle by exposing their little secret.

Peripherally involved in the plot are a supermarket clerk (Catherine Keener) whom Vinnie claims is suing him for sexual harassment, and Bridges' wife (Sharon Stone), who spends her days on their ranch, seemingly in a haze.

I hesitate to say more about the plot for fear of giving things away. Unfortunately though, the more plot twists that are revealed, the less interested I became. Part of the problem is that the scheme isn't very complicated, yet the filmmakers portray it like Lyle and Vinnie were trading government secrets. The tone of the film is so heavy in comparison to the basic premise of the scheme (what they did has been done with one variation or another in hundreds of other movies). It detracts from any inherent suspense the plot has when the movie keeps trying to force that suspense on you.

It all builds to an ending where allegiances are formed and tragedies occur. I have to say that this tying up of all the loose ends was the least interesting part of Simpatico for me. Some parts of it seem awfully contrived, while others don't quite make sense. In fact, the climax is anti-climactic.

What I did like were the performances. Bridges, Nolte, Stone, Keener, and Finney are all incredibly talented people who approach their roles with gusto. Every single one of them is good, and there are some moments where the quality of the acting almost compensates for the weaknesses of the plot. In the end, though, they can't quite save the picture. Simpatico is a little too full of itself to be truly engaging.

( 1/2 out of four)

Simpatico is rated R for language, sexuality, and violence. The running time is 1 hour and 46 minutes.