The Long Goodbye

Director Robert Altman offended the fans of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe character by completely subverting the role here. Elliott Gould plays the usually hard-boiled detective as something of a well-meaning bumbler, and while it may not be Chandler, it is a moody and entertaining film. The film is set in Los Angeles where Gould's troubles begin when he gives his friend, Bouton (a former baseball pitcher) a ride to Tijuana. Upon his return, he learns that Bouton is wanted by police for the brutal murder of his wife. Convinced of his friend's innocence, Gould begins his own investigation of the crime. His inquiry first leads him to the beautiful Van Pallandt, wit...