Brash and corrupt NYPD detective Mike Brennan (Nick Nolte) tracks down and executes petty criminal Tony Vasquez. Rookie ADA and former cop Al Reilly (Timothy Hutton) is picked by Kevin Quinn for the case. Detectives Luis Valentin (Luis Guzmán) and Sam Chapman (Charles S. Dutton) are the investigators. Brennan claims an open-and-shut self-defense case and Quinn expects a quick exoneration. There are various witnesses including criminal Bobby Tex Texador (Armand Assante) and his wife Nancy Bosch. Nancy is Al's ex who broke up after he didn't react well when introduced to her black father. The self-defense case doesn't add up and Quinn ramps up for a political run.
Everybody is doing their best hard-boiled New Yorker. That and the labyrithium story can overwhelm the movie. Nolte is going for the full Nolte and it's arguably good. Armand Assante and Luis Guzmán doing a song and dance seems unnecessary. Jenny Lumet is possibly the squeaky wheel. Part of that is her character's convenient relationship with Al. I do like the idea but the situation is too convenient. The movie would improve with some simplification. Lumet is jamming so much into the movie that the flow becomes jagged. In addition, the music score is too light. The recurring song 'The Hit' is a bad 80's pop mix. Rubén Blades is infinitely better as an actor. It simply doesn't work for a gritty New York crime drama. Overall, the good stuff outweights the less good stuff. It kinda works for the most part.
Everybody is doing their best hard-boiled New Yorker. That and the labyrithium story can overwhelm the movie. Nolte is going for the full Nolte and it's arguably good. Armand Assante and Luis Guzmán doing a song and dance seems unnecessary. Jenny Lumet is possibly the squeaky wheel. Part of that is her character's convenient relationship with Al. I do like the idea but the situation is too convenient. The movie would improve with some simplification. Lumet is jamming so much into the movie that the flow becomes jagged. In addition, the music score is too light. The recurring song 'The Hit' is a bad 80's pop mix. Rubén Blades is infinitely better as an actor. It simply doesn't work for a gritty New York crime drama. Overall, the good stuff outweights the less good stuff. It kinda works for the most part.