Carter Page III is charming, witty, and very gay. As such, he has become indispensable for a group of idle society ladies in Washington. Carter is descendant of an aristocratic Southern family, whose lineage goes way back in time, giving him the right to be among the rich and powerful in the nation's capital. He dabbles in fashion and gossip; he is the owner of an establishment where all the well connected ladies must go for their redecorating plans. They rely on Carter Page III for all the right chintz to cover their mansions.
When we first meet him, he is playing cards with three of his closest friends, Lynn, his favorite, Natalie, an older lady, and Abigail. All these women love Carter's repartee. After all, Carter is famous for his connections as well as his epigrams and wit. Lynn, in particular, seems to rely on Carter to be with her when she goes to her trysts. Carter loves the idea of being of service to such an important woman, who also happens to be a U.S. senator's wife.
The problem is the lover is dead in his apartment. Lynn, who has a lot at stake, must not be connected in any way to a scandal, let alone one in which sex is involved. Lynn realizes what she stands to lose right away; she never took into consideration the consequence of what she was doing. It is at this particular moment that she decides to drop Carter like a hot potato.
Carter, who had nothing to do with the murder, is a suspect. Never mind he is having an affair with a Turkish photographer and has nothing to do with Lynn's problem. Since his name circulates with the slaying, all the society friends avoid him like the plague. Let's face it, he was good while he was not connected in any way with the crime, but now, everyone turns his back on him.
Paul Schrader, who wrote and directed "The Walker", is a man with an uncanny gift for setting up a definite style in the movies. Proof of this was his "American Gigolo", which hasn't got anything to do with this film, but the viewer can finds traces of the former picture in this one in unexpected places.
Woody Harrelson's Carter is an amazing characterization for an actor that tends to select other kinds of roles for his movie appearances. He is the embodiment of a fastidious gay man about town that loves to escort the right kind of woman to all those opera galas and dinners which are avoided by the husband like the plague. He is perfect for the part.
Kristin Scott Thomas, an elegant actress, is also at her best in her take of Lynn, a politician's wife who cares more about her reputation in society at whatever expense. Lauren Bacall plays Natalie, a wise old woman who has seen too much of the behind scenes situations in Washington and the only one that shows sympathy toward Carter. Lily Tomlin is the last one of the initial group, a woman married to a powerful man who also abandons her friend. Ned Beatty plays Abigail's husband and William Dafoe is totally wasted as Lynn's husband.
The costumes by Nic Ede give the idea of the elegant world these people move in. James Merifield's production design gives us a taste for those places one rarely gets a chance to see. The cinematography is by Chris Seager who captures that world of opulence well.
Paul Schrader shows a talent for glorifying the banalities in that rarefied world of politics and money.
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