You can forgive this Georgia-set what-really-happened-on-the-night-of-the-murder yarn the measured pace of its first 20 minutes.

This is scene-setting of a high order by director Clint Eastwood, with relaxed performances by Kevin Spacey and John Cusack that keep your attention.

Unfortunately the film continues at the same pace all the way through, and still doesn't tell you exactly what happened by the fadeout.

Equally hurtful to the film are the number of characters that are barely relevant to its central theme - especially a black transvestite, The Lady Chablis.

She's fun, but her lengthy role could surely be entirely excised without damaging the framework of the film.

The story: Savannah antiques magnate Spacey shoots gay lover Jude Law dead and gets arraigned for murder. On-the-spot reporter Cusack stays to write a book about it. Too bad it takes them all so long.