This formula mystery-thriller is enlivened by the give-and-take chemistry between the tough, phlegmatic Brian Dennehy and the acid-tongued, fast-talking James Woods. Dennehy is an ex-cop turned crime novelist with a string of bestsellers to his credit. He is approached by Woods, who wants him to collaborate on a book about Woods's career as hit man for a prominent businessman, who has always maintained a scrubbed façade of uprightness. Though the plot becomes predictable, this Laurel-and-Hardy pairing yields unexpected treats, as a criminal teaches a former cop a thing or two about police work, not to mention literature. --Marshall Fine