A Hollywood producer whose wife was killed in a hit and run brings six people together for a week on his yacht, and plays a little game with them. A card is passed out to each of them with a piece of gossip, e.g. "You are a shoplifter," and each evening in port, after being provided a clue, the guests are meant to figure out who is holding one of the cards. The goal of the game is to figure out everyone else's card, while not revealing one's own. Not surprisingly, there is something a little sadistic in the game, with the producer having used real secrets about the guests, but having doled them out to different people.
James Coburn is solid as the producer, and James Mason, Dyan Cannon, and Richard Benjamin all turn in fine performances as guests (I wish I could say the same about Raquel Welch). There are lots of barbs in the dialogue as the characters banter with one another. Without spoiling anything, I love how the game doesn't play out in such a linear way. There is a game within the game, and some fun twists, even if they do get a little complicated. The only thing is, I'm not sure the motivation of the killer made complete sense, given what the killer already knew. The identity of the child molester and how little is made of that fact is a little disturbing too. That said, it's a fun film and I loved the subversiveness of the ending.
James Coburn is solid as the producer, and James Mason, Dyan Cannon, and Richard Benjamin all turn in fine performances as guests (I wish I could say the same about Raquel Welch). There are lots of barbs in the dialogue as the characters banter with one another. Without spoiling anything, I love how the game doesn't play out in such a linear way. There is a game within the game, and some fun twists, even if they do get a little complicated. The only thing is, I'm not sure the motivation of the killer made complete sense, given what the killer already knew. The identity of the child molester and how little is made of that fact is a little disturbing too. That said, it's a fun film and I loved the subversiveness of the ending.