Trojan Eddie

About the only things Trojan Eddie (Stephen Rea of The Crying Game) doesn't sell at dodgy bargain-basement prices are horses and condoms. (His nickname, according to the video box, is derived from the model of van he drives--apparently a U.K.-specific reference.) And about the only thing more bothersome to this luckless salesman than being beholden to an aging, vicious mobster (Richard Harris) is getting caught in the middle when said mobster's pretty new bride runs off with Eddie's longtime business partner. Eddie's a terrific character--a morose, world-weary soul who comes to life only when he's delivering his practiced spiel before a roomful of marks--and Rea commands the screen whether shouting or sulking. Whenever he's absent, however, the film tends to lose focus and drag; a subplot involving attempts to recover stolen money is less than enthralling, and Harris, as the tale's heavy, mostly just seems tired. Optional. (M. D'Angelo)