It is a complex relationship and detective Cassey with all her expertise seems to be a kind of novice in the case. But she is still ahead of her greenhorn partner Sam (Ben Chaplin). So she decides to woo him for a change. After all, with women's lib it is the women who often make the passes .

Meanwhile, the very academic Justin reads an essay on "Crime and freedom " and is ridiculed by his class. " I enjoy taking indefensible positions and arguing about it," he tells his protector Richard and the two of them are always having a heated argument .

"It wasn't about getting away from him, it is about standing up to him", is an important line in the script and it sums up the relationship between the two. In fact, it is the complex Justin who has to stand up to Richard. It is an engrossing whodunit but once again a wee bit too long, all of 120 minutes. Cinematographer Luciani Tavoli keeps the story moving on a number of fronts and Sandra Bullock has the ability to hold the viewer's attention.

Bullock may have come into the limelight in action flims like Speed, but she has surely grown from strength to strength as she has convincingly portrayed the everyday working girl, who has too much on her hands to fall in love.

But, may be to avoid getting typecast, she seems to be switching to the private eye persona.

If Bullock holds centrestage, it is Chris Penn, brother of Sean, who is next best. Maybe it is the character he plays that helps, but as a dominant male in a gay relationship he does an excellent job. Ben Chaplin is rather subdued as Bullock’s understudy, but the four key characters seem to share enough of the camera which only enhances the action.

Layer by layer, the onion is peeled and Sandra Bullock is mistress of all she surveys . Then, in keeping with the new trend of a heroine doing all that the hero did down the years, she has to get her act together to show that the female is not only intelligent but capable of retaliating when attacked. Apart from this sort of predictability, the film is absorbing most of the time.

In fact, it is one of better films in the new package of Hollywood potboilers, which are neither here nor there or are downright trite as they pretend to be funny.

Maybe I have a soft corner for Sandra Bullock but she's not the only reason for seeing the film. As a whodunit it stands on its own. It may not be a classic, but it surely is worth watching.