The breakout picture of New Zealand director Lee Tamahori, this noir period mystery is purposely reminiscent of Chinatown (1974) and suffered badly at the hands of critics as a result of its effort to mimic a classic. However, it's not remotely a bad film, featuring superb acting from Chazz Palminteri and John Malkovich in strong supporting roles, top-notch production values, and accomplished direction from Tamahori. Nick Nolte is perfectly cast as the hulking, square-jawed lug whose moral compromise has polluted both his professional life and his family. If the film's script at times strains credulity with its connect-the-dots nuclear secrets plot, it must be pointed out that gumshoe detective dramas are essentially pulp tales in which adherence to authenticity is not necessarily the most important trait. Mulholland Falls (1996) is a far better picture than it's been given credit for, and unfortunately began a long-running underappreciation of Tamahori's skills that continued through the even more unfairly maligned The Edge (1997).