Altman's take on the Marlowe character rings as true as any I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a few). Turning Chandler's sly commentary into an audible, ongoing, mumbled monologue that no one listens to works brilliantly. Gould is surprisingly good in this role, a performance totally unlike any other I've seen from him, or just anyone, really. He walks a crazy line between being laughable and being the only one in on the joke. And his height and build actually match…

In all the Oscar buzz, I wonder why I never heard anyone complain over the terrible screenplay. The setting is too ill defined to make any sense; the ugly secret is a family-run drug plant, but you can't imagine who they'd sell to when there's hardly any roads about, let alone buyers. Most of the characters are stereotypical hicks. The amazing John Hawkes plays such a small role you spend 80% of the running time wondering when he will return…