Synopsis
Nick Nolte, hulking and brutal, is a top NYC cop. The first thing we see him do isassassinate an unarmed man, then plant evidence to cover up his guilt. Timothy Hutton, a newassistant to the district attorney, is given the job of closing what is supposed to be a simple caseof self-defence. Naturally, he finds all sorts of loose ends and hints of top-level corruption. Whilethe romantic subplot is pointless, the investigation is gripping, and Nolte, Hutton, ArmandAssante (as …he mobster who gets dragged into this plot willy-nilly) and Luis Guzman all turn instrong work. Pay close attention at all times, however: some of the dialogue goes by so quickly,and the names are thrown at you so fast, that the twisting plot can become very hard tofollow.
Audio
Gotta groove to that end-of-the-80s soundtrack. It does work, though. The mix is merely 2.0,though. The sound effects aren’t bad, but there are a number of missed opportunities to make theenvironment more convincing, and the dialogue distorts, sometimes to the point of gurgles.
Video
The case might claim that this is 2.35:1, but the ratio is actually 1.85:1. The flesh tones andcontrasts are both very good, but there is some edge enhancement visible and the occasional(though very slight) graininess.
Special Features
Nothing.
Closing Thoughts
The film looks better than the VHS version, but that’s the only real improvement. Still adecent film, though.
