videorama-759-859391
And here we are again, with a director we lost too soon. This fine police drama, beautifully polished, and entertaining as f..k, is just another reason. Fine actor, Ruben Blades's music track, rocks, despite difference of opinions, where too, anybody who knocks this film, must have s..t for brains. From the word "Go", this film has you, as bad apple, hots..t detective Brennan, (Nolte) guns down a drug dealer in a stairwell. A legend, especially, from young ambitious D.A, Hutton's view, he's assigned to investigate the shooting. Brennan is not a guy you want to go up against, and Nolte, splendid, shows you what a great character, and amazingly underrated actor he is, and that's from my view. Dragged into this mess, is a drug dealer, Bobby Tex, a bearded beefy Assante in his best acting performance. Hutton slowly becomes suspicious, from hearsay from an old working lawyer friend, that Brennan is dirty. Yes he's really dirty. Bobby Tex's beautiful Puerto Rican's wife, was once dating Hutton's character, where old history is rekindled. Hutton in one parked car scene with her, I'll always remember, explains, about how his white breed parents weren't understanding and accepting of her. It's great to have a scene like this, unrelated to the plot, as it makes for a tender moment, away from the inanity of Nolte's out of control actions. Hutton's past involvement with her, too, puts the wind up Assante, a much earlier scene, near the start of the film, Hutton sets him straight on a threat he makes by use of Assante's own pen. Paul Caulderon too is great as a transvestite, and Assante's bitch. Like State Of Grace, Q and A, is just one of those, just over two hour films, that's just exciting from start to finish, with the right energy. It too, has quite an ugly twist, involving betrayal, that slaps you in the face with a wet fish, or stings you bad. Nolte and Assante must be commended on their top floor performance, and any fan of either of these actors, this is a must see, but the movie is a must see, regardless of that fact. Hutton is good, but has nothing on the other two. How can a director, who made so many good, entertaining, movies, in constant, leave us. But remember this, his gift he left, was the movies he made. Again with the movie poster out, it was still one of those, that missed a run in Adelaide cinemas.
paul2001sw-1
Guess the film from the following description of its characters. A young man investigating misdeeds in the police force, motivated by the memory of his father (a legendary policeman) but also by the pain of having lost the affections of a woman he loves to another player in the drama. A renegade cop, rampaging violently through the city, but revered on the force for standing up to the scum on the streets. And the renegade's boss, who protects him, partly because he himself is on old-school Irish policeman; but partly because he appreciates having his own private bag-man, especially in his dealings with organised crime. Throw in some prostitutes for a little background colour, and it sounds like a perfect description of 'L.A. Confidential'. But it also describes this tough and underrated movie made by Sidney Lumet some years before Curtis Hanson's film.Whereas Hanson's film was stylised, and glamorised violence (provided the cause was just), Lumet has gone for a more realist approach, and his bad cop (played mesmerisingly by Nick Nolte) is completely rotten, in fact resembling Harvey Kietel's 'Bad Liutennant' in Abel Fererra's movie. The film is dated by its ghastly electronic soundtrack, and more interestingly by its portrait of New York at a time when the city was at its lowest ebb. But it's a very well assembled thriller, exploring issues of race, mixed loyalties and the meaning of good policing without flinching from a grim picture of life on the margins of law abiding society. Lumet has had a long career, but this is one of his better films, and ultimately more truthful than Hanson's stylish charade. Each are good, in their own way: why is only one so appreciated?
fantasticfreddyg
I really loved this movie when it first came out. It was sort of a Serpico for the 90's. The plot is a little convoluted and the movie could have perhaps used a little better screen writing, but the great performances by the magnificent cast more than makes this movie work.What I really think the movie does best is capture NYC as it was then. The dark side, the corruption of the political, judicial and law enforcement divisions. The not-so subtle racial divisiveness. It's all amazingly real and being a born and bred New Yorker,it was scary to watch, yet all too believable. I loved that all the characters in this movie are flawed and human. There is no real right or wrong in this movie - just shades of gray. This has been done many times in movies before and is nothing new, particularly with Sidney Lumet films, but I can't think of a movie that has done it better.I saw one user post a criticism for the last five minutes, I can't think of a better ending for this movie. (Spoiler alert.) When Bloomey tells Francis Reilly that it's all over and they're going to do nothing about his investigation but file it away and gives him the hard knock explanations as to why and how the world really works. I was just as floored by this scene the first time I watched it as Francis Reilly is in the movie. I just love this ending. The short epilogue with Jenny Lumet's character is OK and serves to sort of tie up a last loose end in the film.By the way, to that other commentator about the cheesy Rueben Blades theme song. (Don't double cross the ones you love.") Your not the only one who can't get that cheesy song out of your head whenever you watch this movie.Perhaps Blades should pursue a career as a jingle songwriter instead, he seems to have a lot of potential talent for it.
waldosanmiguel
This movie came out in 1990 and when it was being made in 1989 a hurricane hit the island of Puerto Rico (Hugo).We were recovering and you can see it in one scene where Hutton, Guzmán,and the guy that kills Nolte are entering the Caribe Hilton. They are passing through the lobby being tailed by Nolte and you can see a tree being held by pieces of wood. They saved a very old tree from garden of the lobby. To anyone that questions movies about being fake and unbelievable let me tell you every scene that is shot in Puerto Rico is accurate even to the locations where the characters move and live. The Caribe Hilton is ten minutes from the Cangrejos Yacht Club where Roger the Dodger, Bobby Tex and one of the cuban hit men are blown up. I got to say I learned a lot when I saw this movie. Imagine a movie about a Chinese guy, a Brazilian and an American. And the American is played by a British, south African or an irish actor. You feel a little weird and question Why not hire an American actor to play an American right? Well all that went out the window when I saw Assante play the Puertorican drug lord. I couldn't believe my eyes or my ears. Assante IS one of us in that role. Everything was authentic in that performance. Also Luis Guzman surprised me in this film with his bravura acting confronting Assante in the interrogation scene. I met him in 1993 at the premiere of the movie Carlitos Way which is another movie based on the novels by the Puertorrican Judge and author Edwin Torres. It was a film festival and Guzman and Torres talked a little bit in a podium. Later I spoke with the judge and he was great. I talked to him about Q&A and how I enjoyed his work. Finally I went to Guzman and he behaved like a little ass. Maybe he was in a bad mood or something. I shook his hand and he never spoke and kept looking at the horizon or something behind you. Maybe he thought I was gonna scream and jump on his back yelling "Hollywood". I don't know I still like him and there are few of us out there working with the best to be fighting each other. Back in 1990 i believed there were gonna be a least two nominations in this movie, one for Assante and one for Nolte. Nolte continues to do great things but I get mad when I see Assante working in crap. It is such a shame that nobody uses him for something good. Tarantino should call him. And yes that song is by Ruben Blades and I cant get it out of my head. "Dont double cross the ones you love" HAHAHA. It is so cheesy and yet I cant help it but sing it every time I see the film.
