As part of a scavenger hunt, chemistry major Sam Jensen (Angie Everhart) helps her boyfriend Jed (Brian Wimmer) and best friend Juliette (Francia Di Mase) bust open a warehouse door with explosives. But rather than merely photographing a rare violin for the contest, Jed steals a payroll, murders the warehouse guard, wounds Sam, and leaves her to take a prison rap. During Sam's incarceration, Jed ascends the crime ranks thanks to his mentor, Venti (Eric Roberts). Tracking down Juliette after serving time, a vengeful Sam learns the location of Jed's money drop and rips off $40,000 Jed had earmaked for Venti's crony, Carl (Joe Penny). Although Sam's willing to exchange the loot for Jed, Venti responds badly to this upstart's presumptuousness. Fortunately, Sam gains an unlikely ally in Joe Massa (James Russo), a workaholic cop who'd prefer gun-toting Sam wore a wire to help him legally destroy Venti's empire. Breaking into Carl's headquarters, Sam ices him and several bodyguards but fails to nail Jed. After Venti's goons ambush Sam during a subsequent meeting with Jed, she forces a showdown at Venti's mansion. From its nifty opening double-cross, this high-octane action picture guns down audience expectations. Although Everhart proves a more alluring action star than other models-turned-actresses, she's stuck playing opposite Russo's wooden cop and Wimmer's hammy antagonist. Triumphing over these liabilities, the ex-Mrs. Stallone rides roughshod over the script's implausibilities and draws the audience to her corner. The film's highlights are Everhart's scenes with Roberts, memorably obdurate as a mob don whose self-esteem is threatened by this amateur's cool invincibility. As a kick-ass vehicle for Everhart, BITTERSWEET makes its case for a new adage: Killing well is the best revenge. --Robert Pardi
