Trouble In Mind

Robert Altman protégé' Alan Rudolph, whose uneven Choose Me scored a critical and commercial success, has the knack for swiftly building a complex set of personal relationships--which then spin out in a wide array of bewildering (but always plausible) directions. His latest, Trouble in Mind, is no exception. Set in Seattle, WA, this sort of private-eye comedy/drama/love story follows the misfortunes of a fallen cop (Kris Kristofferson), his hash- slinging ex-girlfriend (another touching and resourceful performance by Genevieve Bujold), an unemployed drifter who gets on the wrong side of the law (Keith Carradine, in a truly unsavory role), and the nudnik's beau (Lori Singer). Some actual plot is thrown in the form of a stolen goods ring which involves Kristofferson and Carradine (the main operator is the transvestite Divine, in his first male role), but what makes Trouble in Mind a worthwhile experience is Rudolph's unseen puppeteering mastery over the shifting relationships of the four main characters. Recommended.