But there was no obituary because the day that I died was also the day I started to live.But that comes later."The setting was a big city, where Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) worked in an art department job ("the practical version of my passion") as a graphic designer of ads for beauty cream.Although the film was nominated for four Academy Awards nominations (without recognition for director Scorsese, screenwriter Paul Schrader, or cinematographer Michael Chapman): Best Picture, Best Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Original Score (Bernard Herrmann, nominated posthumously -- Herrmann passed away shortly after completing his work in this film) - all were unrewarded.He also sent young women to San Francisco to be pickpockets.Gus worked with two other crooked entertainer-assistants or accomplices:Rita (Rafaela Ottiano), a RussianSerge Stanieff (Gilbert Roland), Rita""s suave boyfriend-loverA city mission (a thinly-disguised Salvation Army) was located next door to the bar.Lydecker: Did I?McPherson: Yeah.But he was really killed with a sash weight.Lydecker: How ordinary.My version was obviously superior.I never bother with details, you know.McPherson: I do.Because murder is his "favorite crime" and he writes about it regularly, the renowned, droll columnist Lydecker insists on helping McPherson in his assigned investigation, even hough he is a suspect:I know you""ll have to visit everyone on your list of suspects.