... but I don't think I'd care to see it again. This is a weird one with so many preposterous premises that it could almost be a strange kind of fantasy if it was not for all of the mental and physical cruelty going on. In that way, it reminds me of a film from the year before - 1989 - called "Blue Steel". As ridiculous as the plot is, you can see the end, and about everything in between, coming at you a mile away.
Raymond Avilla (Andy Garcia) is an officer in the LAPD in the Internal Affairs Division. In one of his first assignments, Garcia and his partner Amy Wallace (Laurie Metcalf) are investigating officer Van Stretch (William Baldwin). Avilla also suspects Stretch's partner, Dennis Peck (Richard Gere), since he finds it hard to believe that Stretch's partner would be blind to his illegal activity. He also believes that Stretch does not have the intelligence or the independence to be pulling off all of the drug dealing on his own.
Peck is supporting several ex-wives, his current pregnant wife, and eight children - on a policeman's salary?. He's also sleeping with just about every woman that becomes his target of opportunity, including his own partner's wife. Metcalf's character is the only woman in this film not being sexually targeted and/or abused by Peck. However, this film attributes this more to her sexual orientation than to the possibility that she might actually have standards. Also, Peck is so involved in so many blatant dirty dealings that Frank Drebbin of Police Squad would have had to be chief of Internal Affairs to not notice what's been going on up to this point, especially given Peck's high rolling lifestyle and his harem. Peck is a politician extraordinaire, and his picture should be next to the phrase "quid pro quo" in the dictionary. This has kept him out of the line of fire of the other regular cops on the force. Whenever Peck calls in a favor, his cop friends don't seem to mind that the favors often involve felonies. Peck is also ultra-psychotic and murders his so-called best friend and partner, the unfortunate officer Stretch, to keep him from talking to internal affairs and exposing Peck's comfy criminal arrangements.
I have to wonder why such a good actor as Richard Gere would have taken on such a two-dimensional role as Dennis Peck. Peck seems to have taken on the profession of rogue cop more because he enjoys performing acts of violence, murder, and mayhem than the reason that he gives in the film - that he would do anything to support his kids. What does shooting Laurie Metcalf's character with a smile on his face have to do with supporting his kids? What does all of the mental cruelty that he generously portions out and treating every woman that he meets as a piece of meat got to do with supporting his kids? Andy Garcia and Laurie Metcalf seemed rather wooden in their performances. In fact, it seems that only the villains in this film seem to come alive on screen. I get the feeling that all of the lead actors and actresses in this film just did not have proper direction during their performances on top of a script that does not make sense. This film has no brilliant twists, no lessons learned, and no complex characters. My recommendation is really not one at all because it is truly a toss-up as to whether or not this one is worth your time.
Raymond Avilla (Andy Garcia) is an officer in the LAPD in the Internal Affairs Division. In one of his first assignments, Garcia and his partner Amy Wallace (Laurie Metcalf) are investigating officer Van Stretch (William Baldwin). Avilla also suspects Stretch's partner, Dennis Peck (Richard Gere), since he finds it hard to believe that Stretch's partner would be blind to his illegal activity. He also believes that Stretch does not have the intelligence or the independence to be pulling off all of the drug dealing on his own.
Peck is supporting several ex-wives, his current pregnant wife, and eight children - on a policeman's salary?. He's also sleeping with just about every woman that becomes his target of opportunity, including his own partner's wife. Metcalf's character is the only woman in this film not being sexually targeted and/or abused by Peck. However, this film attributes this more to her sexual orientation than to the possibility that she might actually have standards. Also, Peck is so involved in so many blatant dirty dealings that Frank Drebbin of Police Squad would have had to be chief of Internal Affairs to not notice what's been going on up to this point, especially given Peck's high rolling lifestyle and his harem. Peck is a politician extraordinaire, and his picture should be next to the phrase "quid pro quo" in the dictionary. This has kept him out of the line of fire of the other regular cops on the force. Whenever Peck calls in a favor, his cop friends don't seem to mind that the favors often involve felonies. Peck is also ultra-psychotic and murders his so-called best friend and partner, the unfortunate officer Stretch, to keep him from talking to internal affairs and exposing Peck's comfy criminal arrangements.
I have to wonder why such a good actor as Richard Gere would have taken on such a two-dimensional role as Dennis Peck. Peck seems to have taken on the profession of rogue cop more because he enjoys performing acts of violence, murder, and mayhem than the reason that he gives in the film - that he would do anything to support his kids. What does shooting Laurie Metcalf's character with a smile on his face have to do with supporting his kids? What does all of the mental cruelty that he generously portions out and treating every woman that he meets as a piece of meat got to do with supporting his kids? Andy Garcia and Laurie Metcalf seemed rather wooden in their performances. In fact, it seems that only the villains in this film seem to come alive on screen. I get the feeling that all of the lead actors and actresses in this film just did not have proper direction during their performances on top of a script that does not make sense. This film has no brilliant twists, no lessons learned, and no complex characters. My recommendation is really not one at all because it is truly a toss-up as to whether or not this one is worth your time.