The swinging Twenties are brought to life in a whirl of glittering parties. But, beneath this glamorous life of hedonism, there lies an underworld of shifty characters.

In a film based on Damon Runyon stories (although bearing virtually no resemblance to the Mitzi Gaynor version of 1952), Madonna plays Hortense Hathaway, a lounge singer who's been around a bit: her co-stars include Randy Quaid, Steve Buscemi (as Whining Willie!) and Matt Dillon.

The action's largely set at a big New Year's Eve party thrown by Harriet (Julie Hagerty), where romance and crime intertwine.

Amusing and colourful, it's often a visual delight, though, like many Madonna films, it died an awful death at the box-office.