It's a shock at first to see the usually stoic Clint Eastwood sporting a scarf and a huge grin while calling people "Dear." But this provocative and entertaining film, directed by and starring Eastwood, is all about risk. In his only partially successful efforts to master the flamboyant mannerisms and speech of director John Huston, a role he was not born to play, Eastwood is pushing against his limits, just as he did by directing the jazz film
Bird. Breaking rules was also a Huston specialty.