Glitz

This made-for-TV adaptation of the popular 1985 Elmore Leonard bestseller stars Jimmy Smits (L.A. Law) as Vincent Marra, a Miami cop who takes a bullet in the leg and goes to San Juan for a little R and R. When a girl he meets there is later killed in Atlantic City, Vincent heads for the city of the high rollers. Enlisting the aid of a singer named Donna (Markie Post of Night Court), he infiltrates the offices of the kingpins of gambling, certain that the killer is one of the movers and shakers. But Vincent is a victim of the "glitz"--underneath all the razzle dazzle of money and power, there's a simpler explanation for the girl's murder. Director Sandor Stern has done a reasonable job of translating Leonard's immensely entertaining novel to the little screen. The filmmakers have wisely kept Leonard's streetwise dialogue intact (all except for the profanity), and maintained fidelity to the snaky plot. Unfortunately, while the young and handsome Smits does a decent job as Vincent, the book's character was much older and run down. Smits who looks like he's in his late 20s, early 30s, doesn't make much sense when he says he's been a homicide detective for "15 years." Casting an older actor in the lead role might have made Glitz a very good film. As it is, this film is entertaining but not affecting. An optional purchase. (R. Pitman)