Clay Pigeons

REVIEW
A playful noir thriller which ambles at its own speed but has a few, nice surprises along the way. Both comic and dark, the story follows down-on-his luck Clay (an engaging Phoenix), a small-town cowboy who's having an affair with his best friend Earl's wife. But Earl has a plan and he's gone through with it -- commit suicide and frame Clay for murder. With no help or sympathy from the new widow, Clay is left alone to straighten things out. Enter Lester Long (Vaughn), an enigmatic stranger who befriends Clay. In no time, more dead bodies, the F.B.I. and a serial killer who may or may not be Lester cross Clay's path. Making a solid feature debut, director Dobkin makes good use of the dusty locale, nicely capturing the pace and environment for their satiric and atmospheric qualities. Garofalo is especially appealing as an F.B.I. agent on the case, and Vaughn mixes menace with charm to make a most believable scoundrel.