A Rashomon-style comedy where three men tell conflicting stories about the same woman
In short: In the 2001 neo-noir One Night at McCool's, a bartender, a lawyer, and a detective recount their chaotic encounters with a mysterious woman named Jewel. Each man paints himself as the hero or victim, but their contradictory perspectives reveal a dark, manipulative reality that leaves them all in ruins.
Directed by Harald Zwart and written by Stan Seidel, the film employs a fractured narrative structure. The plot centers on Jewel, a femme fatale who systematically manipulates three men: Randy, a bartender; Carl, his lawyer cousin; and Detective Dehling. Each man narrates his own version of events to a listener, leading to scenes that are re-enacted multiple times with wildly different details. Randy claims he is an innocent victim, while Dehling views Randy as a violent thug, and Carl remains delusionally convinced of his own irresistible charm.
The story begins when Randy saves Jewel from her boyfriend, Utah, only to find himself embroiled in a series of robberies and murders. As Jewel moves into Randy's home, she systematically strips away his possessions and manipulates him into committing crimes. The detective, Dehling, becomes infatuated with Jewel, eventually forcing Randy out of his own house. The narrative culminates in a violent confrontation at the house involving all three men, a hitman named Burmeister, and Utah's twin brother, Elmo. By the end, the house is a crime scene, and the men have suffered dire consequences, while Jewel escapes with a new partner.
The film drew inspiration from writer Stan Seidel's experiences at a St. Louis University bar called Humphrey's Restaurant & Tavern. Despite its star-studded cast, including Liv Tyler, Michael Douglas, and John Goodman, the 2001 production struggled at the box office, grossing $13.5 million against an $18 million budget. Critics were largely unimpressed, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 34% approval rating. Roger Ebert noted that while the film was a fun near-miss, its reliance on a complex, interlocking structure prevented the audience from forming a meaningful connection with any of the characters.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: One Night at McCool's
- Also: One Night at McCool's
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